Cocoa Fudge

As opposed to the chocolate version.

We talked about the difference between chocolate and cocoa in the post for cocoa cake from Lutz, Florida, but a quick refresher: cocoa is the product of removing cocoa butter from the cocoa bean, and chocolate is the product of adding sugar and adjusting the cocoa butter-to-cocoa ratio of the ground bean.

Here’s a version from the December 2, 1902 edition of The Boston Globe:

Chocolate or Cocoa Fudge
—–

To muff–In answer to your request I submit the following recipe for making chocolate or cocoa fudge: 1/4 cup milk, 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1-1/4 cups sugar, 9 teaspoonfuls cocoa or 7 of chocolate, pinch salt, 1/2 teaspoonful vanilla. Put the milk and butter in the saucepan, and when the butter has melted add the sugar, cocoa or chocolate and salt. Stir until dissolved. Then cook, stirring occasionally, until it strings, which takes about 8 minutes. Remove, add vanilla, beat gently for a few minutes, pout into buttered pan. When hard, cut into squares. This is a true and tried recipe. Will some one kindly send me a recipe for popcorn balls? I have a number of directions in regard to crocheting shawls, lace, etc. that I will gladly send to any one requesting them. My first letter to the Globe.

Watch City.

For the history of fudge, see the post for fudge from Lutz, Florida. And since the letter asked, for a recipe and the history of popcorn balls, see the post for popcorn balls from University Heights, Ohio. And as for crochet, well, I don’t have any patterns, but I’m on ravelry and do a fair bit of crochet myself.

From a notebook originally from somewhere in the general area of Sterling, Colorado from the 1930s.

This recipe is from the second page of the notebook; here’s the page in full (click to enlarge).

Click to expand a longer explanation...

In the words of the seller:
I acquired this book from the great granddaughter of the woman who wrote this book back in a small Nebraska town in the 30’s. She belonged to that generation of rural housewives who worked tirelessly to make ends meet and “keep body and soul together” for their families working the farms.

Later addendum:

[A]fter a conversation I had with a friend’s sister who used to live in North Eastern Colorado, given the type of recipes listed we decided it might be from a small town there, i.e., Sterling or Fort Morgan. Also North Platte or Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Even Cheyenne, Wyoming. If you Google a map of Sterling, Colorado and pull back, you will see all these little towns in that tri-state area.

Cocoa Fudge

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoonful cocoa
pinch salt
3 Tablespoonful butter
1/2 cup sweet milk

Pout on stove and boil until it forms a ball in cold water.

[Remove?] from fire; add 1 Tbsp. butter, [1?] teaspoonful vanilla and beat until it beigns to thicken. Pour into buttered pan and when cool cut in squares.



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