well, it appears i haven't written in a while. i have excuses, of course: i've been on the road a lot, away from the computer, etc etc. and to be honest i haven't even been eating much in the way of exciting new candy. the closest i've come is a couple flavors of fudge from quaint little Cambria, California, a resort town "gift shop." so, let's talk about fudge.

i really like fudge, but it can't be too soft or moist. i prefer it when the fudge is hard with a little bit of a crumble, but readily melts into the sweet essence of heaven on your tongue. i have no problem with cheater's fudge, although this recipe is not as amenable to wacky variations as a standard recipe is. the taste and texture is still fantastic, and the recipe really could not be easier.

but the fudge in Cambria was the real deal, butter and sugar and cream in a big ol cauldron. we picked up two varieties, Chocolate Mint and English Toffee.

the Chocolate Mint was an appealing chunk of deep, rich, chocolatey fudge with a thick swirl of green throughout. the mint flavoring was not confined to the green fudge, though-- that was apparently for aesthetics only. nonetheless, this stuff was delicious if not a bit too soft for my liking (it was better after spending a little quality time in the fridge...)

the English Toffee was a creamy white fudge with chunks of heathbar sprinkled throughout. now this stuff was AWESOME. the texture was thicker and more crumbly (still, this was also better after being refrigerated) and the little crunchy bits of toffee helped give some contrast. my friend thought this fudge was too sweet (duh! it's fudge!) but i really, really liked it and will have to figure out how to recreate in my home kitchen.

anyway, that's all i've got for the moment. i'm still holding out for a sale on Premium M&M's... :)