nutella pecan fudge + vanilla marshmallow. and a fond farewell.

and now for a letter to my brain.

dear brain,

in this new year, we're gonna be more decisive. i would really like that. i'm going to need to train you somehow to make your unimportant and important decisions more efficiently.

come on, it doesn't matter what we eat for lunch ok, just pick somewhere. we could save a lot of time, you and i...quick decisions make for extra time for me to attempt christmas songs on the ukulele and for you to sharpen your math equation skills.

i love you brain, we're in this together..you haven't steered me too wrong yet. even now, when i couldn't force you to make a decision between fudge and marshmallow.

you knew what was up. it was still 2011, there needn't be a choice.
together they would be, nutella fudge and fluffy vanilla marshmallow.

thank you for making me make this.

love, julia.
not louis-dreyfus. don't get too excited. just the person you're attached to.


anyway.

so this fudge marshmallow square thing. semi-classico chocovanilla flavors in a funky little boxy confection.

i sprinkled silver glitter dust all over the tops to be new years festive. the glitter isn't screaming to be seen in these photos. drats! good thing it's totally unnecessary.

all these textures are surprising together. the fudge is being fudgy. some toasted pecans add crunch. and then the square of light vanilla fluff.

so now that i've buttered you up with marshmallows, i must declare that i am filled with excitement and sorrow.

i am off to the other side of the world! so many things to get done in these few hours i have left, i'm becoming a little nutty.
i was totally putting this off...i do hate goodbyes.

not that this is goodbye forever...oh no! don't say such a thing!
just for a little.

i'm definitely not done ranting about cakes and peanut butter.

until we meet again...

be well dearhearts!

Nutella Fudge Marshmallows

 fudge recipe adapted from cookingincanuck, 

for the nutella fudge:

butter, for greasing pan

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz high quality (at least 60% cacao) chocolate, chopped

1 cup nutella

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup toasted pecans

sea salt, about 1/2 tsp

grease the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with butter. line the pan with parchment, leaving a 2 inch overlap on the sides. scatter toasted pecans in bottom of pan.

in a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, nutella, and butter

form a double boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. the water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. stir until the chocolate chunks are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5-7 minutes. 

scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out over the pecans until the top is smooth. let firm up in refrigerator for about 2 hours. 


For the Marshmallow
I used this vanilla marshmallow recipe exactly and simply poured half over the fudge layer and the rest into another separate 8 inch pan just to have some plain jane but rockin homemade marshmallows.