Vintage Banana Tuesday: Day 23 - Banana Fudge + Finale!
I've got something special planned for my last day of the Vintage Banana Tuesday series! A few weeks ago, my good friend and all things 1940s buddy, Loris, sent me a banana recipe with a challenge - "I dare you to make this!" The recipe was for Banana Fudge, and it was from her mother's wedding gift of America's Cookbook. ca. 1942. I thought a dare would be a great way to end this series, so here we are!
In the realm of bizarre banana recipes, Banana Fudge doesn't really raise the eyebrows. But it was definitely a challenge for me, because I am not, repeat not a fudge maker, eater, or day dreamer of any kind! (I'm sorry if this is yet another reason for you to think I'm crazy, but it's true. haha!)
This afternoon I finally attempted it. Fudge and I have a complicated history. Maybe you remember the dismal failure of the nasty Soya Fudge of 2014, and how I finally redeemed myself by making a successful and very modern Dark Chocolate Cherry Fudge (okay, that stuff was actually good!). Adding to the fact that I don't really like eating it, you can understand how this was a true challenge to my mind and skills as a baker!
The recipe looks fairly straight forward. Well, it wasn't. Ha! I followed the directions, but it started to burn. Maybe I had the heat too high? So, I took it off the heat just before it reached the soft ball stage and I tried beating it and refrigerating it, but no luck. I decided to put it back on the heat, even though I'd added the butter by that time, but it got thicker and more promising until it started to burn again. This time as I cooled and beat it, it got thicker, but doing it by hand was brutal. I had to hunt like a madwoman for my electric beaters (which had been put away in the wrong place by someone), and beat it with that. Then I poured it into the greased dish only to feel like it didn't look right. I started mashing it and it finally started fluffing up a bit like it should.... !!!!
Well, anyway, here it is! Doesn't it look pretty?
But you know what? It was undeniably Banana Fudge in taste! It was very sweet and tasted a lot like a banana candy. I think the addition of peanut butter would help mellow out that overly-sweet flavor. Peanut Butter Banana Fudge actually sounds really good. Even to a poor fudge-disdainer like me.
Thanks, Loris, for a fun, albeit maddening, Vintage Banana Challenge! Maybe someday I will conquer fudge and even learn to like it!
For the bonus surprises I promised for this grand finale of vintage banana adventures - I present to you the oddest, most bizarre of all things banana. Sometimes, like in these cases, the 1940s leaves me without words.
Hahahaha! Thanks for joining me on this summer's adventure of Vintage Banana Tuesdays!
Stay tuned for my next series coming soon...
*Recipe and artwork come from Bananas...how to serve them, ca. 1941.
In the realm of bizarre banana recipes, Banana Fudge doesn't really raise the eyebrows. But it was definitely a challenge for me, because I am not, repeat not a fudge maker, eater, or day dreamer of any kind! (I'm sorry if this is yet another reason for you to think I'm crazy, but it's true. haha!)
This afternoon I finally attempted it. Fudge and I have a complicated history. Maybe you remember the dismal failure of the nasty Soya Fudge of 2014, and how I finally redeemed myself by making a successful and very modern Dark Chocolate Cherry Fudge (okay, that stuff was actually good!). Adding to the fact that I don't really like eating it, you can understand how this was a true challenge to my mind and skills as a baker!
The recipe looks fairly straight forward. Well, it wasn't. Ha! I followed the directions, but it started to burn. Maybe I had the heat too high? So, I took it off the heat just before it reached the soft ball stage and I tried beating it and refrigerating it, but no luck. I decided to put it back on the heat, even though I'd added the butter by that time, but it got thicker and more promising until it started to burn again. This time as I cooled and beat it, it got thicker, but doing it by hand was brutal. I had to hunt like a madwoman for my electric beaters (which had been put away in the wrong place by someone), and beat it with that. Then I poured it into the greased dish only to feel like it didn't look right. I started mashing it and it finally started fluffing up a bit like it should.... !!!!
Well, anyway, here it is! Doesn't it look pretty?
The internet can play cruel jokes on our sense of reality, so I'll help you out with that.
Here's what it really looked like behind the scenes:
Hahaha! Oh, fudge. How I hate you.
But you know what? It was undeniably Banana Fudge in taste! It was very sweet and tasted a lot like a banana candy. I think the addition of peanut butter would help mellow out that overly-sweet flavor. Peanut Butter Banana Fudge actually sounds really good. Even to a poor fudge-disdainer like me.
Thanks, Loris, for a fun, albeit maddening, Vintage Banana Challenge! Maybe someday I will conquer fudge and even learn to like it!
For the bonus surprises I promised for this grand finale of vintage banana adventures - I present to you the oddest, most bizarre of all things banana. Sometimes, like in these cases, the 1940s leaves me without words.
A seemingly innocent recipe for Banana Cream Whip*...
Really, Mr. Banana! Must you resort to violence?!
Really, there just aren't any words...
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| Ladies Home Journal Sept. 1941 |
Stay tuned for my next series coming soon...