coconut milk fudge.

Well, hello there. I'm sorry I've been gone for a hot minute, but hopefully life has straightened itself out and I'll be visiting here more often. I finally wrapped up my first semester of school and I've been wringing my hands waiting for my grades to come in - is that not a good excuse for no new posts? Okay...how about the fact that my parents are installing hardwood floors in the computer room and I had no Internet for the past week? Fair? Thank you.

My sister moved back home yesterday from school and I don't think she's yet realized she will be here for three months judging by the enormous bags she has yet to unpack. Oh, what? You haven't met my sister? I beg your pardon - here she is. She's a handful more often than not, but she's taller and stronger than me, so I try to steer clear when she's on the warpath for her other earring or a blue tank top or whatever the crisis is that morning.

I tell you what though, she's a champion taste tester. And she'd like you to notice that her bite mark is perfectly straight in the photo below.

I'm not much of a candy maker because thermometers terrify me, but that's not really an issue anymore because my sole candy thermometer was destroyed in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, I didn't even notice until I was midway through a batch of vanilla caramels when I realized it was filled with murky water and I had something not unlike caramel flavored cement.

These candies, also called brigadeiros, but I have no idea how to pronounce that so we'll just call them milk fudge, pack a lot of flavor in a tiny bite. They're a Brazilian treat  infinitely adaptable - I added a pinch of Saigon cinnamon to the batter and rolled them in cookie crumbs (Teddy Grahams, but that seems barbaric somehow), but you could use toasted coconut, crushed nuts (giggle), sprinkles, or graham cracker crumbs. I liked them best straight out of the fridge, and they'll keep well chilled for about a month.

The recipe I used said to cook the mixture for 20-25 minutes to achieve the desired texture, but after 25 minutes of constant whisking and still not having the right texture, I threw in the towel. Or the whisk. Or whatever. It didn't seem to make a huge difference once the mixture is chilled and scooped, so don't fret if it doesn't seem to be coming together.

Coconut Milk Fudge
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter (salted will give the candy more contrast)
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 cup of your choice of toppings, or a mix of many

In a medium-size heavy saucepan, combine condensed milk, coconut milk, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk constantly until fudgy, about 25 minutes.

Slide mixture into a bowl. (Don’t scrape the pan; leave any residue behind.) Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until very firm, about 2 hours.

Scoop out teaspoonfuls of the mixture (I used my one teaspoon measure) and use your hands to roll into balls, about 3/4-inch in diameter. Set aside on a baking sheet.

Place toppings in wide bowls and roll the candies through them, covering the surface completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 month.