First Lady Mamie Eisenhower is most famous to me as the woman who brought pink to American homes. She championed this feminine color and used it in a new era of pink bathrooms, powder rooms, boudoirs, and clothing. But, for all her femininity she wasn’t much on cooking. In a newspaper article from 1955 the author recalls how she pointedly referred to her husband Dwight as the cook in the family and that she could only make 2 things when they first married: mayonnaise and fudge.
Today we’re making her fudge recipe, first published in a Women’s Press Corp cookbook entitled Who Says We Can’t Cook! From there it was printed in newspapers across the country.
Because it was widely published many home cooks had this fudge in their recipe cards for generations and it’s about time it made a comeback if you ask me.
I will preface this recipe by saying three things. The first is that Mamie’s recipe was reprinted in newspapers all around the country and sometimes changed. Therefore what I started with was sort of a copy of a copy. I’m not mad about it because the original didn’t have as much butter and I do love my fudge to be richer rather than sweeter.
INGREDIENTS
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 3 milk chocolate candy bars (15.5 oz total), broken into pieces 4 cups (23 oz) semisweet chocolate chips 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups chopped walnuts
PREPARATION
Line 9”x13” pan with foil and grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter. In a large heat-proof bowl add candy bars, chocolate pieces, marshmallow creme, and walnuts. In saucepan heat milk, sugar, and remaining butter over medium-low heat. Boil for 4 minutes stirring often. Pour hot milk over chocolate and stir until well combined. Pour into foil-lined pan and level with back of spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift fudge from pan using foil. Cut into 1” squares and keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.