Copper kettles and a minnow tank hold the “gold” in the shop I share with my grandpa Gil, whom I’ve affectionately called Gilpa since I said my first words thirty-some years ago.
Gilpa and I own Oosterlings’ Live Bait, Bobbers & Belgian Fudge & Beer on the docks of the bay in Fishers’ Harbor.
We’re located in Door County, Wisconsin, a peninsula known as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest” because of its rustic beauty, boating, arts, and recreation that draw tourists. No fast food restaurants are allowed above the canal zone that splits our county. The canal connects our bay known as Green Bay with the main body of Lake Michigan.
I returned to Door County when Grandma Sophie broke a leg. I’d spent eight years in Los Angeles trying to be a TV writer after a failed marriage. In my twenties I eloped with a man who had two other wives he was still married to. Oops! Grandma and Grandpa helped me forget that indiscretion by gathering the equipment to run a fudge shop. I arrived in May to find Gilpa had moved his minnow tank to make room for the copper kettles they’d found. He’d also moved the singular apostrophe in the shop’s name to plural to accommodate both of us. With love like that, I had to stay in Fishers’ Harbor.
By five o’clock a.m. my grandpa is helping customers load up with fishing bait, and I’m making fudge. I created the Fisherman’s Catch Tall Tale line for the guys and the Fairy Tale flavors for women and girls. Cinderella Pink Fairy Tale Fudge is made with our famous Door County cherries, Belgian chocolate, and cream from my parents’ farm.
Oosterling is a common Belgian name. This area was settled by a lot of Belgians in the 1850s, as well as Scandinavian people. Back then, the United States advertised in Europe for farmers, fishermen, and forestry workers. Many Belgians came to Door County and bought land for $1.25 an acre. Today, this area of Wisconsin is considered to have the largest U.S. rural population of Belgians.
What makes a Belgian unique besides excellent chocolate and beer? Booyah!
Booyah is a tomato-based vegetable-and-chicken stew made over an open fire in a steel drum for the community fall kermis, or harvest festival. Most Belgian communities here—such as Namur and Brussels—hold a kermis. Anybody is welcome to enjoy the good music, games, and of course Belgian beer, pies, and booyah.
Belgian pies—like my fudge—are also special. Belgian pie pans are 12 inches across. We’re also known for small pies the size of a large Danish pastry topped with generous amounts of chocolate pudding and fruits.
Belgians are also famous for beautiful lawns and flower gardens. My Grandma Sophie and Grandpa Gil have a huge garden that attracts butterflies in the back of their cabin home on Duck Marsh Street. Since I began sharing the bait shop with Gilpa, I’ve added flower boxes to the front windows overlooking the harbor. I also love roses and have created a rose fudge recipe which you can try by visiting my shop.
I enjoy the harbor view every day as I make my fudge. Making fudge is hard physical work. The chocolate comes in kilo bars or chips from Belgium. Once I put the rich chocolate, cream, and ten or more pounds of sugar into the copper kettle, it’s a matter of stirring it by hand for many minutes with a four-foot wood paddle. And you can’t stop for a rest or you’ll ruin the fudge.
Making fudge is akin to science, which I love. The heat and action of stirring changes the sugar crystals from white crystals to liquid, and then to fudge consistency. The batch changes from dull to shiny to something rich-looking.
Here are tips for making small batches of fudge at home:
- Add your ingredients in the exact order called for in the recipe, and stir a lot non-stop. Fudge likes tender loving care and constant motion.
- If your fudge becomes hard taffy or is too runny, reheat it and add more chocolate chips or cream or butter depending on whether you need to harden it or soften it.
- If it still doesn’t turn out, use it as ice cream topping or frosting. I’ve also added unruly soft fudge chunks to muffin batter for moist muffins.
After making fudge in my shop for the day, I often connect up with my best friend Pauline Mertens. She’s a kindergarten teacher. We sometimes end up talking with Jordy Tollefson—our sheriff. And he doesn’t like seeing us coming. He knows there’s been a murder and I’m connected to it somehow. But Jordy likes my fudge, so he’s an okay guy.
Christine DeSmet’s new Fudge Shop Mystery Series (Penguin Random House), set in Door County, Wisconsin, debuted last September with Book 1, First-Degree Fudge. It enjoyed 10 weeks on the Barnes & Noble mystery bestseller list.
Book 2, Hot Fudge Frame-Up, debuted June 3, 2014. Ava Oosterling is gearing up for the First Annual Fudge Festival when a fight between her guest celebrity chefs spawns a nasty recipe for murder with the blame pointed right at Ava and with her grandparents put in grave danger.
GIVEAWAY
Comment on this post by 6 p.m. EST on June 27, and you will be entered for a chance to win a copy of HOT FUDGE FRAME-UP. One winner will be chosen at random. Unless specified, U.S. entries only.
Meet the author
Christine is a writing teacher at University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies where she mentors writers of novels, screenplays, plays, and short fiction. She directs the “Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Retreat” every June in Madison. Her other publications include Spirit Lake, a romantic suspense novel from Hard Shell Word Factory. Christine is a past winner of the Slamdance Film Festival and optioned that screenplay to New Line Cinema. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, Writers Guild of America, and Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum. www.christinedesmet.com.
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I like the tips on how to make fudge, and what to do when it refuses to cooperate. Great book description too…sounds good!!
Sounds like another series to put on my list. 🙂
Fudge…the ultimate chocolate experience. Can’t wait to try this new series! Kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com
Love the title, it’s going on my wish list !
Fudge is good. I enjoyed her first book. The story line is interesting.
Who doesn’t like fudge? Would love to start this series.
You can’t go wrong with fudge, yum. The first in the series was great and look forward to reading this one.
Oh, I love how she calls him Gilpa! I have been searching for our old family fudge recipe for years and honed in on the first of this series because of the title! Thanks!
Yummy fudge…thank you for the chance to win 🙂
Oh yummm, I love fudge, haven’t made it in years. I’ll need to read this and dream of ways to make fudge again
Sounds as if this book will make me want to try new foods and to make some fudge. Works for me!
Sounds like a fun book
Yum…. I really need to read this one!
You had me at Belgian fudge. Yum.
Looks like a great cozy mystery.
xzjh04@ gmail.com
Who can resist fudge?! I loved First-Degree Fudge and can’t wait to read this one ~
sounds like a book that will make me crave fudge while I’m reading it.
I think I’ll have to stock up on chocolate before I start reading this book.
Thank you for all the comments. Fudge is fun! I also wanted to mention that by coincidence the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Door County plays a big role in this new novel, and it was also voted to have the spotlight for this summer among the many Great Lakes lighthouses by the Great Lakes Lighthouse Association. The lighthouse is located within Peninsula State Park, and is furnished with original furniture from the family that lived there many years ago. The tour is worth the $5 fee.
What an extraordinary notion that shop is! A marvelous mix of unlikely items. It really sets the tone.
Fudge, yum. Especially peanut butter. Another book to put on my TBR list and another snack to be put on my TBM (to be made??) list!
Sounds like a fun series.
I loved the first book and look forward to the second. Thank you!
I love fudge and would love to read this book! Thank you!
I believe I need to go to Wisconsin – get some fudge and some of those pies. I could eat all the way back to Texas – and probably have a sugar high.
My daughter in law is Belgian and has been touting the joys of Belgian chocolates forever. She and my son brought some chocolate home with them when they took their eldest son the visit her home country. So, I’m, excited to read this series. Also, we are grandparents with the saying “if Mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy, but if grandma’s not happy –run.” With three teen grandsons and three little granddaughters, there is lots of “counseling” going on. AND–Grandma and Grandpa LOVE every minute of it!!!! Hope no one comes home married to a bigamist though!!! Fascinated by a place that allows no fast food restaurants!! Going to go out and get the first book in this series right now, with hopes of winning this second book in the series!!!!!!!!
Mmm fudge! Sounds like a great new series.
Fudge, can’t beat that.
kaye.killgore@comcast.net
another series I need to start soon!!
thank you for the giveaway!!!
Fun post! One of my favorite Belgians is Hercule Poirot. 🙂
I love fudge and always make a batch (or 2 or 3) around Christmastime to give as gifts!
cozyupwithkathy at gmail dot com
As a fellow cheesehead and Badger I love cozies set in Wisconsin.
Thanks for the fudge tips, this book sounds fun and yummy. Thanks for the chance to win.
Now if someone could just tell me the secret to making “sugary” fudge that’s not creamy. I know fudge is supposed to be creamy, but I like mine “sugary”.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
This is a new author and series to me and would enjoy getting started. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity. The fudge tips were helpful.
6186pep(at)msn(dot)com
Oh, I am looking forward to this one! Sounds delicious!
The book sounds wonderful and the tip on fudge making is awesome! Thank you for this opportunity! 🙂
Mmm . . . fudge!
Definitely going to have to check this series out.
It sounds like a fun and interesting read. I would love to win a copy.
This sounds like a great series. Thanks for the chance!
Contest is closed.