Pumpkin Fudge

I moved to the San Francisco area on January 2, 1976.  It wasn't long until I discovered the lovely coastal community of Half Moon Bay, just to the south.  The area boasts beautiful beaches, incredible seafood restaurants, tide pools, hiking trails and a world renowned Pumpkin Festival which takes place each October.  At my very first such festival, I came across something that is now worn and spattered and a treasure to me:  "The Pumpkin Book."  I have tried, over the years to find another, without success, even by writing to the address inside the cover.  It is an incredible collection of all sorts of pumpkin recipes from savory to sweet, vegetable to dessert.  I have tried so many of them, all wonderful.

One of my favorites - and that of my boys, is the recipe for pumpkin fudge in the book.  It is sinfully good and I only make it at this time of the year - since I could easily eat the whole batch!

I had never seen a recipe for pumpkin fudge before this one.

Pumpkin Fudge

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts ( optional ) 

Combine sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin and salt in a large saucepan ( 3 quart size ), mix
thoroughly.  Bring to a bubbly boil on high heat, stirring continuously.  Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil the mixture, without stirring, until it reaches a temperature of 232 or until a small amount of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water.  Remove from heat
and stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and butter, and nuts.  Let cool until lukewarm ( 110 ).  Beat mixture until it becomes very thick and loses some of its gloss.  Quickly pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan.  When firm, cut into squares.