Easy Homemade Salami and Old Fashioned Fudge

Slowing but surely, I am getting ready for our family Christmas next week. Yesterday, I made homemade Salami.  My mother –in-law gave me this recipe fifty years ago. She made it every Christmas and it was always a hit. My in-laws owned the local locker/butcher shop back then so the meat was always the best around. I have been making it every year since I received the recipe. It is so simple and makes a great gift. Kids love its mild favor. And so do adults.

Homemade Salami

4 Lbs hamburger. Can use half ground pork and half beef.

 2 cups water

Add to the water:

4 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp onion powder

½  tsp garlic powder

5 Tablespoons  Morton Tender Quick Salt( a curing salt)

Add to meat and mix well. Your hands work the best. Wet hands and Shape into 3 rolls. Wrap in foil shining side in. Refrig for 24 hours.

Poke holes in bottom of rolls and place on a cookie sheet with a rack.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Before baking, ready for its 24 hour curing time.

After time in the oven.

And, of course, like every year, we have to taste it. Make sure it is good to give as gifts..

Salami

I am hoping my hubby is up to making fudge today. Every Christmas since we had kids old enough to eat fudge, my hubby makes his old fashioned  fudge recipe. It, too, is a recipe from his mother.

Old Fashioned Cocoa Fudge

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 ½ cup milk

¼ stick butter

1 tsp vanilla

Lightly grease 9” pan thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients  in a heavy sauce pan. Stir in milk. Bring to a bubbly boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, boil without stirring to 234 f (soft-ball stage) or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball.

Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Do not stir*. Cool at room temp. to 110 ( pan is barely warm to touch) Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and loses its gloss. Quickly spread in pan. Coo completely cut into 1 inch squares.

*Hubby starts beating instantly at this point.

No marshmallow crème for him or candy thermometer.

This, too, we give as gifts.

As one granddaughter said when I mentioned that, maybe, Grandpa wouldn’t be up to making fudge this year “ wouldn't be Christmas without Grandpa’s fudge”.

Have a good weekend.