Monday, April 18, 2016

Heavenly Hash



For as far back as I can remember, every Easter, my mother gave my dad a heavenly hash egg. That egg always looked soooo good.  Dad never shared (that he knew of) and I don’t blame him, but I must confess to finding where it was stored and pulling off a chunk or two to enjoy. This nose has been able to sniff out the location of chocolate for decades.

Dad hasn’t had heavenly hash since mother passed away three years ago February, and while I had planned to make him some this past Easter, life just got in the way. This weekend, however, between cheering on both the Blues and the Cards, I had to do something to calm my jangled nerves and chocolate seemed the obvious solution.

This recipe from The Kitchn blog is a good one. It calls for whole almonds, but my remembrance of heavenly hash is that it had been made with pecans, so I decided to split the difference and use both. I made the delivery to dad today. I hope he is enjoying his portion as much as I am enjoying mine.
Heavenly Hash Bars
Slightly adapted from The Kitchn

1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 cup roasted, salted almonds, kept whole
1 cup pecan halves
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper with enough excess hanging over the sides of the pan to use as "handles;" spray paper with cooking spray.

Combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often, and continue boiling the mixture until it reaches 218°F to 220°F on an instant read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate and vanilla and stir until melted. Let cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, then fold in the nuts and marshmallows.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a silicone spatula. Refrigerate the candy until firm, at least two hours. Using the parchment paper handles, remove the candy from the baking dish and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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3 comments:

martinealison said...

Bonjour chère amie,

Je suis certaine que votre papa a dégusté avec énormément de plaisir vos douceurs au chocolat. Les souvenirs mêlés au plaisir de la dégustation ont dû apporter un moment particulier à votre papa...
Merci pour le partage de votre recette.

Bisous ❀

Marigene said...

I am sure your dad's sweet tooth is well satisfied with this delicious looking fudge!
Have a great week, Pattie.

The Better Baker said...

What a special gift for your father. I'm sure he enjoyed it immensely. It looks luscious. Pinned!