Worth the Suffering?

(The Chocolate Moose Motive)

Our grown son was home for the holidays, and in an after-dinner discussion, he mentioned that chocolate caused him to get sores on his tongue. Then he reached for a piece of Gran’s Fudge, a particularly creamy and luscious candy our family makes at Christmas.

“Hey!” Mom cried.

Son shrugged. “It’s already sore,” he said.

Well, he’s an adult. If he’s willing to suffer so he can eat fudge once a year, that’s his choice.

But many people have problems with chocolate. It can cause heartburn or migraines or worsen arthritis. Some people are out-and-out allergic to it, just as they may be to any substance.

I’m sorry about that.

For everyone else, here’s the recipe.

Gran’s Fudge

4½ cups sugar

1 large can (10–12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream

18 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

2 cups chopped pecans

Mix sugar and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches soft-ball stage, about 10 minutes or longer. Remove from heat. Add marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, margarine, vanilla, salt, and pecans. Mix until smooth. Pour into a 9-inch-by-13-inch buttered dish. Let set 24 hours.

Note: Everyone in my family uses an old-fashioned pressure cooker pan to make this. No, we don’t use pressure. We just use the pan because it’s heavy and suitable for extra-hot ingredients that shouldn’t be burned or scorched. I’m lucky enough to have fallen heir to the actual pressure cooker my grandmother used, and I prize it.