Paula's 14 Minute Maple Fudge

Paula Giese's 14 Minute Maple Fudge

The late Paula Giese was a tireless activist for her people, the Anishinabeg and a really wonderful food writer who never had the chance she should:  to publish her own Native Recipes cookbook!  She did however have a presence on the web, and I posted her traditional instructions on the plain preparation of wild rice, called in "Ojibwe" Onzaan last year during the October Harvest season, and the post can be found here.  Here is her really great and really quick and really easy recipe for a maple cream fudge!  This calls for "nut meats."  There are of course plenty of native nuts indigenous to the area of the Anishinabeg such as black walnuts, various hickory nuts, hazelnuts and butternuts.  There are even more native nuts from around the Americas, which include cashews, Brazil nuts and peanuts (which are really legumes).  Seeds, such a pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are treated as nuts.  Macadamia nuts, which I plan to write about later in the month, which are native Australia are nice.  Use what you like.  Middle Eastern almonds are as tasty with maple as are pecans!!  Use a combo if you like.

4 cups maple syrup

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chopped nut meats

1 tsp. lemon extract

Buttered square baking pans

Starting cold, cook maple syrup, cream and butter together at a gentle boil for 9 minutes after the boiling point is reached.  Remove from heat, add nut meats and the lemon, stir vigorously with a spoon for 5 minutes.  Pour into buttered pans.  When cool, cut in squares. Check out Halloween candy molds below!!

Happy Harvest Halloween!