Sister Annie Parrish's Famous Chocolate Fudge Recipe

When people talk about 'angels among us' they might well be referring to Sister Annie Parrish, who has given freely of her hugs, her love and kindness, and her delicious baked goods, to everyone she meets, for the last 50 or 60 years.  Countless people have been delighted to find a small brown paper bag full of goodies, or a homemade sugar Easter egg, or Christmas treat, or container of chocolate fudge, pressed into their hand on a Sunday...    'It's better to give than to receive,' Annie says, 'even if it's a hug, a kiss, or a smile.'   Annie's advice for us is: 'We can't be too friendly!  You can go out of your way to say hello to people..'  

Annie's Chocolate Fudge 

2 cups of white sugar

1/3 cup Golden Syrup

1/2 cup full-cream milk

2  slightly rounded *tablespoons cocoa

2  well-rounded *tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add all of the ingredients, except for the vanilla, into a saucepan, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture boils.  Turn down the heat a little, and keep stirring while the mixture boils until it reaches the soft boil stage, (about 5 minutes).  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.  Beat with the wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, but is still spread-able.  (If you stir for too long the mixture will become hard and grainy, and it will become set in the pan.  Take it out before it hardens.)  Turn into a small, greased and papered 20cm x 20cm pan.  When it has set, lift out of the pan using the paper, then cut into squares.  '..give some of it away..'

*NOTE

The tablespoon that Sister Parrish used to measure the ingredients in this recipe is one of the larger, old-fashioned ones, like the one shown to the left in this photo.  To compare for size, next to it is a smaller, modern tablespoon, then a modern dessert spoon and teaspoon.  

Sister Annie Parrish was born in Brisbane in 1934.  She joined the Church with her husband, Frank, when she was 25.  They have 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.  Over the years she has served as a Relief Society president, a Seminary teacher, as a Ward and Stake Primary president, in Young Women, as ward librarian, as a cub leader... 'I don't think there is anything that I haven't done'.  She and Frank served one church mission in Papua New Guinea, and another in Perth.  For 13 years she served as a self-appointed 'Greeter' in Waterford ward, and has been serving as a worker in the Brisbane temple for the past 11 years. Her current shifts there are on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights.  Annie enjoys cross-stitch, cooking, jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles.  She loves to be friendly.

By Sandy Munro