Lyric and London set up their station to make fudge

Lyric and London took their first live online cooking class this past weekend and they had so much fun! Through Facebook, I saw another mom post about Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! Cooking Camp that was happening for the next two weeks. It’s a virtual cooking camp featuring herself and her celebrity chef friends, many of whom I love watching on the Food Network. And best of all, it’s FREE!

The girls have shown interest in cooking ever since élan, their Daddy, let them help make dinner one night. So I felt that this was a great opportunity for them to learn more cooking skills.  It was also a way to get them off their phones playing Roblox or watching YouTube, and into the kitchen doing something as a family. During this pandemic we’ve been staying home just about 24/7, and it’s been challenging to think of different things to do to keep them occupied with different activities.

Oh Fudge! With Duff Goldman Live Cooking Class

I looked at the schedule and knew immediately they would love the class Oh Fudge! With Duff Goldman from Food Network’s Ace Of Cakes. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate fudge? I just wished I didn’t start my strict meal plan the day before. Oh well! Registration was quick and easy on the website and I received an email instantly with the Zoom instructions and details. They listed everything needed to prep beforehand, including ingredients, equipment, kitchen tools and the recipe itself.

Since this was Lyric and London’s first time doing a cooking class ever, I wanted them to try a simple recipe that they could completely do on their own. We had most of the ingredients in our pantry already, except for a few things that I ordered from WalMart Grocery pickup that morning. The girls wore their cute princess aprons that their Auntie Melanie had given them and right before the class I had them set up everything they needed and put it on the counter.

Lyric and London ready for the cooking class to start

I logged into Zoom and a “camp counselor” aka the moderator greeted us to kick off the cooking camp. They really stuck to the camping theme, which I though was really cute. He introduced Duff Goldman and the cooking class was underway. The girls were excited and listened to Chef Duff as he walked them through the steps of his recipe. There were a few technical difficulties and he was kicked off Zoom a few times. Maybe because of his WiFi or maybe because there were well over 11,000 attendees and their Zoom account was overloaded. But thankfully they were able to work it out and he was able to finish teaching the class. The only change we made from the recipe was that we didn’t use walnuts. Lyric mixed in Mint Crème Oreos and London used M&M Chocolate Minis instead.

Here’s a few tips I came up with after taking the fudge class:

  • Have the instructions and recipe printed out to refer to.
  • Connect a speaker if your device isn’t loud enough, so you can hear what’s going on.
  • If you’re taking the class live, try to measure out the ingredients beforehand so you don’t fall behind.
  • Consider cutting the fudge recipe in half. It makes a lot and we froze most of it.
  • Feel free to make substitutions on the mix-ins. It’s your fudge!
The class and fudge is done and ready to go into the fridge

I really loved this experience for the girls, and they loved it too. It was great for them to learn from a professional baker and chef. He gave tips and tricks throughout the class, and I learned a few new hacks as well. This inspired me to cook more together as a family.

The fudge is Lyric and London approved

Rachel Ray’s Yumo-o! Cooking Camp runs through Friday, August 14, 2020. So if you’d like to attend a live cooking class there is still lots of time to register for one. If you missed a class, you can also find the replay on Rachael Ray’s YouTube channel under the hashtag #RRCOOKINGCAMP. The recipes will also be listed under the video. Another great thing about this event is that the proceeds from sponsorships and optional online donations will be split between Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Rachael Ray Yum-o! scholarship fund. Two very amazing causes.

Have you taken any virtual classes with your family? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to and what else is available out there. And if it’s free, that’s definitely a plus!

Live EMpowered,
Marlene

Here’s a mini recap of Lyric and London’s fudge making experience. We would love for you to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Here’s the replay to Duff Goldman’s Oh Fudge! cooking class on YouTube.

Oh, Fudge!
Makes 48 squares

2 cups chopped walnuts (London used 1 tube of M&M Chocolate Minis and Lyric used 3 Mint Crème Oreos)
6 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. (Skip if not using walnuts.) Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line it with wax paper.
2. Place the walnuts on a sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes, or until they are fragrant and just start turning brown. (Skip if not using walnuts.)
3. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and salt. Heat it to just short of a boil, until it’s loose and melted.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla and the toasted walnuts. (At this point I divided the fudge patter in half, Lyric and London mixed in their M&Ms and Oreos.)
5. Pour the hot mixture into the prepared baking dish and put in in the fridge until it is cool and set. Cut into 2-inch squares. (I poured the two fudge batters side by side in the same pan.)