The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins - Installment No. 4 - Perfect Pumpkin Fudge

The afternoon was wet and soggy; thick whitish-gray clouds clung to the indigo silhouettes of mountains, while rain slowly dripped from evergreen needles, then accumulated in cold puddles wherever it didn't soak into the black earth. In the house, not a sound could be heard but the chilly caw of a solitary crow and the mournful wail of a freight train gliding through town on its way to other marshy municipalities.

And if your ear was most perceptive, you might manage to detect a scratchy whisper coming from the huddled group of pumpkin patchmates.

Cucurbita, a misshapen old pumpkin, covered in lumps and bumps and scratches, was telling stories again. She was rattling off about some insane ritual she called "pumpkin carving".

"They gouge out your innards with a spoon and carve figures in your rind, then they take a hot light and shove it inside of you where your guts once were." A group of pumpkins stood around her, their faces representing a variety of responses: most incredulous, others annoyed, some terrified.

"Will it happen to us?" stammered a young pumpkin, his stalk bending down to still his quaking body.

"Of course not, boy," said a rotund man with an oily smile, "Cucurbita is a very old lady. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Cucurbita glared at the man and stepped closer to the boy.

"Yes," she hissed, "It could happen to you."

He looked as though his seeds might drop out then and there.

"But don't be afraid! It will happen to all of us, and fear of the inevitable is like fear of night- it's absurd."

The boy didn't look at the old woman. Instead, he stared towards the ceiling and cast his stalk upwards.

The man who'd just spoken against Cucurbita's story was now being abducted.

"She's done it! I tell you, it's that hag!" he shrieked, sweat gushing from his lenticels.

Instead of lovingly watching the final moments of their unfortunate patchmate, the crowd turned to Cucurbita, their minds overflowing with suspicion. 

In the corner of the room, Gourdon's two sons glanced at one another, their glittering eyes sharp as x-acto knives.

And then there were 33...

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Perfect Pumpkin Fudge 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with waxed paper, leaving extra paper hanging over the side of the pan for easy removal. 

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, and spice in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until candy thermometer reaches 234 to 240 degrees F.

Quickly stir in the white chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until white chocolate chips are melted. Immediately spread into prepared pan. Cool on wire rack for approximately 2 hours. Holding waxed paper, lift fudge from pan. Cut into 1 inch squares and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Christmas Candy Recipes

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With subtle pumpkin flavor-notes, this super-delicious fudge won't last long. Our family devoured it in a few days. Make it for yourself or take it to a holiday party. You're sure to get rave reviews.

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