Coconut Flambe

What started out as a Betty Crocker day of making fudge, turned into Martha Stewart as I expanded my horizons and added new combinations of flavors to my usual Fantasy Fudge.  From Martha, I'm afraid to say, we ventured into Lucy.  We hit on a winning combination of toasted almonds, toasted, unsweetened shredded coconut to create our Almond Joy fudge.

Yesterday I created four batches.  Today I wanted to continue the frenzy.  First task were the two lactose intolerant versions: peanut butter and walnut both made with goat butter and evaporated goat milk.  Need a bit more butter when going this route, but it's quite tasty.

I moved on to recreate the Almond Joy version but ran out of the thick shredded coconut and had to use a bag of flaked I picked up.  That was mistake number one.

#2:  I used a thin nonstick pan with the almonds at one end.  That end had different weight distribution.  This came into play at the very top shelf of the oven - electric oven at broil.

#3:  did you read that?  BROIL - TOP.  No, no no, my friends.  Go down one shelf - REALLY.  When toasting nuts to go 375, 2nd level down for 8 minutes instead.

Timer went off.  I saw a distinct glow in the oven, opened it - to let in that crucial OXYGEN and
FWOOOMMMPFFFF - FLAMING COCONUT.  The oven was ablaze, as was the cookie sheet.

I shouted to the living room, trying to remain a bit calm, but firm, "FIRE!"
This resulted in two events:
My children said, "Huh?! What did you say?"
and my husband said not a word as I'm hyperventilating trying to put out the cookie sheet AS I HELD IT because there was NO counter room with this frenzy going on. I had EIGHT batches of fudge, one batch of cookies in varying stages of development strewn across the counters.

My dear husband walked into the kitchen calmly, not even catching my eye because this type of event no longer surprises him, and headed straight to where the "bacon timer"  is mounted to remove it before it went off; which would upset the children and make them scream as they ran through the house holding their ears.

Needless to say, the coconut was not able to be saved.  It took some of the pecans with it.  He did offer to immediately go to the store and pick up the thicker, wider coconut.  This is to his direct benefit because he did notice the dark chocolate and toasted almonds ready to go.

 

The house is warm right now with the distinct odor of hot electricity due to the oven being set and locked in the "clean" mode.