Orange Fudge

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 pounds light brown sugar
• peel from 2 thick-skinned oranges
• 1 ¹/₂ cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons brown Karo syrup
• ¹/₂ stick of butter

Add 1 cup of milk to 2 pounds light brown sugar and mix 'till it's like thick batter. Peel two thick-skinned oranges and cook peels in water for 3 to 4 hours until tender. Cut cooked peels into fine pieces. Add 1 slice butter and 2 tablespoons brown Karo syrup then cook mixture to a little past the soft ball stage (cook it to 238°F to 240°F). Add ¹/₂ stick of butter and beat 'till it begins to thicken. (This will happen as the mixture cools to around 110°F.) Add 1 ¹/₂ cups chopped pecans, mix quickly, then spread into two large greased plates. It should look pretty lumpy and thick at this point. If you spread it too early it doesn't seem to harden right, so make sure to let it cool enough before spreading it.

This stuff is tough to spread. No matter how well you grease your spoon it will stick to it, so I found the best bet is to spread it with waxed paper, and just use your hands to push the waxed paper. Spread it to a thickness of about one inch or a little less, and pack it down firmly so there are no holes in it. While it's still a little soft, draw a stiff knife through it to cut it into small squares. You have to press really hard, and that will ruin any surface on a non-stick pan, so I usually use a plain aluminum baking pan to pour it in.

Annie used to wrap this up in waxed paper, pack it in pretty holiday gift tins and send it to family members just before Christmas every year.

Do NOT leave this stuff unattended in a house with other people- it will disappear!