Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Sweater weather Wednesday for the first time. Three days of counseling at the middle school in East Point. The work was the work.

Daddy in his apartment in the back. I brought him his coffee and his medication this morning. He grumbled. The grumble was the love. Marcus, 21, studying for finals at Alabama.

Pecan pie Saturday. Pecans from Aunt Cookie's tree if I'm lucky.

Jasmine, 19, home from Howard for the weekend. Isaiah, 18, called from Charlotte — coaching season starting.

I called Mama at the stove without realizing I was doing it. Some habits are the love.

The neighbors had a Friday cookout this week. I brought my mac and cheese. They have come to expect this. I have come to expect this. The block is the block.

I made a casserole for the church potluck. The pan came back empty. That is the only review I trust.

Saturday morning I had Set the Table at the Cascade Heights center. Twelve young women. We did baked chicken. One of them — Imani, sixteen — was so afraid of seasoning that she barely shook the salt. I stood next to her and put my hand over hers and said, baby, you cannot be afraid of food. We seasoned the chicken. The chicken came out right. She glowed.

Sunday service at New Birth this morning. The choir sang. I sang soprano in the second alto row. Pastor preached about Naomi and Ruth. The congregation said amen. I said amen.

Darnell sent a photo from Clarksville. The garden is producing. He grew tomatoes the size of softballs. I sent him back a photo of my sweet potato casserole. We are competitive about food now in our middle age.

Pastor preached about the prodigal son again. He preaches about that boy at least three times a year. The text is the text but every preaching is different. I cried in the second service this time. Don't ask me why.

I drove to the Walmart on Camp Creek Saturday morning. The kind of grocery run that takes two hours because you run into three people you know. Sister Patrice caught me in the produce. We talked about her grandbaby for fifteen minutes.

Tuesday evening I sat at the kitchen table with my composition notebook and worked on the cookbook. From Brenda's Kitchen — that's the working title. I cannot write the introduction without crying yet.

Wednesday Bible study at the church. We read through Proverbs. The women in my row argued about whether wisdom is built or born. I said both. They agreed, sort of.

I had a hard counseling case at school this week. A seventh-grade girl whose mama lost her job. We talked. I gave her my number. I told her she could call.

Derek and I had date night Friday. Same restaurant, same booth, same enchiladas for me and carne asada for him.

Andre called from LA. He told the Kevin Hart story again. Twenty-some years and that boy is still telling that story. Everyone in this family is going to hear about Kevin Hart at our funerals.

I read for an hour Sunday night before bed. Some novel about a Black woman in 1960s Alabama. Mama would have liked it.

The kids were home for the weekend. The house was loud the way it should be.

Daddy sat in his chair after dinner watching the news. He fell asleep before the third quarter. Standard.

I went to the cemetery Saturday morning. Brenda's grave is on the hill at South-View. Curtis still goes most Sundays. I left a small bouquet of magnolias.

I had pecan pie on the brain all week — Aunt Cookie’s pecans, the whole ritual of it — but when Jasmine came home from Howard and the house got loud the way it should, I needed something I could pull together quickly and still feel like I put love in it. This chocolate chip cookie dough fudge has become my answer for those Saturdays when the people I love fill the rooms back up and I want something sweet waiting on the counter when they do. The pan does not come back with anything in it. That is the only review I trust.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, heat-treated (see step 1)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

Heat-treat the flour. Spread flour on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes, or microwave in a bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until it reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let cool completely before using.
Make the cookie dough layer. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla extract, and the salt. Mix to combine. Stir in the cooled heat-treated flour until a soft dough forms. Fold in 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Set aside.
Melt the white chocolate base. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the white chocolate chips with the remaining sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly until fully melted and smooth, about 3—4 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
Layer the fudge. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting. Pour the melted white chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Add the cookie dough. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough mixture over the white chocolate layer. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently press and spread the dough into an even layer on top.
Finish with chocolate chips. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips evenly over the top and press them lightly into the surface.
Chill until set. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, or until firm throughout. Lift the fudge out of the pan using the parchment overhang, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into 24 squares.
Store and serve. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to one week. Serve cold or allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge — Something Sweet for the Saturday I’ve Been Waiting For