Fudge Recipe on the Back of a Jar of Fluff, Easy!

I have never kidded myself into thinking that I can cook, I know that I can't and I'm okay with that.  However, I've always thought of myself as a pretty good baker and candy maker (with the exception of chocolate chip cookies).  My problem stems from the directions, it's not that I can't read them or understand them, honestly.  I learned to read in school and I'm pretty good at it and I can understand most things.  The problem with the directions is that I simply refuse to read them.  What can they tell me that I can't just figure out for myself?  Apparently quite a lot.

Once when I was a bit younger and not nearly as smart as I am now I wanted to make some tapioca pudding, I love that stuff.  So I add everything that I need, milk, sugar, egg yolk and the entire box of tapioca.  What, you say I don't need the entire box?  Well I found that out after the fact.  Needless to say, it didn't turn out the way I had envisioned.  Oh well, better luck next time, right?

So yesterday I was going to make fudge.  You know that fudge recipe on the back of the jar of marshmallow creme, easy as pie, right?  So I glance at the recipe, take notice of the ingredients and start pouring them into the pan.  I stir the sugar and butter and evaporated milk until it boils and let it boil for 5 minutes (the recipe said 4 minutes, but 5 is better, don't you think?).  I take it off of the stove and add the chocolate chips and stir til they melt, then I add the marshmallow creme and the vanilla.   I stir and stir and stir, but it's still a bit soupy.  But I pour it into the pan and tell my husband that we can probably use it on the vanilla ice cream that I bought that day.  It'll be good fudge sauce.  So all is not lost.

BUT, this morning I take it out of the refrigerator to take a look at it and it has gotten harder, not hard enough, but harder.

And then I have a flash of memory.  When I was a Brownie (for all of 2 weeks) it was  my turn to bring the treats.  I forgot to tell my working mother that I needed treats in 30 minutes.  She barely flinched.  She got out her pot and her utensils and all the ingredients for fudge.Not the easy on the back of the jar of marshmallow creme fudge, but the time consuming, get it to the soft ball stage kind of fudge.  Keep in mind that she only had 30 minutes.  The fudge didn't have time to set and I was probably whining and crying about it so she got out the powdered sugar, made balls from the fudge and rolled them in the powdered sugar.  My fellow Brownies thought they were great.

So, later this afternoon, after I put some of the fudge, and I use the term very loosely, away to put on ice cream, I will roll the rest in powdered sugar and silently thank my mom for her grace and ingenuity.