Get the hell out of here now!
You get out of here fella. I'm trying to watch the Smurfs.
You're trying to watch the Smurfs? Did you see the one where Papa Smurf took a crutch and smashed the shit out of a guy with a red hat? Did you see that one? You want to see that one?
Looking back, Summer Rental may not have been John Candy's finest work but it was certainly one of the most memorable, at least for me. I used to rent it all the time from Erols Video. Plus, it starred
Kerri Green. I'm still mourning the loss of her career.
How was your summer? Eventful? Relaxing? Mine didn't suck by any means, it just wasn't packed with as many summer-y events as I would've liked. When I was a kid, my family used to take an annual trip to Ocean City, MD and we'd stay at the same hotel every year, Castle in the Sand. We'd spend all morning on the beach then in the afternoon, my parents would take me and my sisters to Trimper's to play carnival games and ride
Himalaya and the (now defunct)
Toboggan.
And we would never, ever leave without a stop at
Candy Kitchen. I'd usually pick out some sort of novelty item (an absurdly long lollipop shaped like a unicorn horn) but my mom would always buy a box of fudge. It's one of my fondest summer food memories.
In memory of a great comedic actor and of vacations past, today we're going to make some candy.
Salted Cinnamon-Chocolate Fudge
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Here's what you'll need:
butter, for greasing the pan
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound 60% bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chips)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
kosher or sea salt
Butter an 8 inch x 8 inch square baking pan. Make sure to get the sides, too. Line it with parchment paper and leave some to hang over the edges.
In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, mix together the condensed milk, cinnamon and vanilla.
Stir in the chocolate and butter.
Hint:
1 bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips and 1 bar of Ghirardelli chocolate = roughly a pound.
No measuring, no weighing, you're welcome.
Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
By the time all of the chocolate has melted, the mixture will be thick, similar to brownie batter. Scrape it into the baking pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle with salt and disregard my jacked cuticles.
Pop it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) until firm.
When you're ready to cut into this deliciousness, run a warm knife around the edges. Using the edges of the parchment paper, pull up the fudge and move it over to a cutting board. Cut into squares and share with your family, friends, coworkers or no one at all.
If you're iffy about the salt, don't be. Just trust me on this. No, trust Giada on this.
The salt and cinnamon do wonderful things to this fudge.
Last but not least, thanks to everyone who entered the
giveaway but most of all, thank you for all of your supportive (and hilarious!) comments. It was really cool to see some of you come out of the woodwork, too.
The winners of the Cookie Craft giveaway are:
Random.org
Random Integer Set Generator
Timestamp: 2010-08-27 12:21:30 EST
Congrats EKS and Amy! Email me at threebakingsheets@yahoo.com with your full name and address. Peak cookie season is approaching, better get a move on!
Happy end of August, friends. Nap in a hammock, lay in the grass, run through the first sprinkler you see.