it's about time!

I was in a seasonal cooking mood today. For breakfast I made maple nutmeg french toast. (Cool weather means I can use copious amounts of nutmeg!) Then while composing a weekly menu for the family I work for I could only think of cozy foods. I made my somewhat famous (it's my grandfather's favorite) chicken pot pie with an herbed biscuit crust for their dinner.

I went to visit my goddaughter Cailyn this evening. It's her 10th birthday today! May God Grant you many years sweetie!

When I got home I made fudge. Seriously, I can think of nothing more seasonal than fudge! (OK, I might be pushing Christmas. Oops.)

I e-mailed my friend Elizabeth on Christmas Day for the recipe. (Yes, I said on Christmas Day it's that good.) Along with some other incredible baked goods Liz gave me some of this fudge...

You have to know about me: I adore fudge. I feel like it's the ultimate. Although I rarely ever make it myself. I realize that the truffle is a much more sophisticated version of this chocolate treat, but I have fond memories associated with fudge. I'll stick with the childhood favorite.

This fudge is incredible. Get this, not only is it chocolate, but there are pecans, and COFFEE!!! Coffee-Pecan Fudge!

I've talked to several of you who made Debbie's Cookies in the past week. Feel free to freeze the gobs of cookies you probably still have. You need to get back in the kitchen and make this fudge. Don't wait almost a year to make it like I did!

Liz said this came from a Southern Living Christmas cookbook. But I choose to think of it as Liz's recipe.

Coffee Pecan Fudge:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
12 large marshmallows
1 cup semisweet choc. chips
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10-15 minutes or until sugar dissolves and marshmallows melt. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 234 (soft ball stage). Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate morsels until melted. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Spread fudge immediately into 2 aluminum foil-lined mini loafpans (I used one regular loafpan). Cool completely. Remove fudge from pans. Slice fudge into 1/2" slabs.

I'm eating mine with a glass of milk right now. But I think if I were enjoying it earlier in the day I'd need a cup of black coffee to accompany it.

Tell me, what sort of food are you cooking now that the weather is getting cooler?

Since last night was particularly cool and rainy it made it the perfect weather for our dinner group at the Williams! Mindy made 2 types of chili along with delicious pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Wow. It was incredible, and perfectly seasonal!