A Sweet Farewell

They say, cooking is an art and baking is a science, and Lisa Orenstein’s AP Chemistry learned just that by studying the chemistry of fudge tempered with a little bit of healthy competition.

In a contest that has been happening for 20 years, the students learn all about supersaturation, the way a liquid absorbs more matter at higher temperatures, and they take that knowledge to the kitchen as they make fudge that everyone is invited to sample. If you’ve ever made fudge from scratch, you know how particular it can be and that to yield a creamy texture and taste, you must follow very specific steps.

It makes learning fun and enjoyable to produce such sweet results. Over the years, no one has been a bigger supporter than Head of Upper School, Gerald Buhaly. Having been a judge for 15 of the last 20 years, Buhaly has seen his share of contests.

“This year is better than I’ve seen. I mean the quality is really good. You could sell some of this stuff,” Buhaly says. In honor of his longstanding commitment to the contest, this year’s contest was named ‘The Gerald Buhaly Honorary Fudge-Making Contest’. “I had a student come up to me weeks ago and ask me, ‘what kind of flavors do you like? How do you like your fudge?’”

All fudge is judged on taste, texture, and aesthetic appearance. While most students made some sort of chocolate fudge, some branched out and made butterscotch fudge, or included nuts, peppermint, or even coffee in their creations.

Orenstein has particularly appreciated Buhaly’s continued support of the students over the years.

“It would be easy to say that Gerald has attended every AP Chemistry fudge making contest since he arrived at Overlake because, who doesn’t love fudge?” Orenstein says. “And while this may be part of the reason, his devotion to the event comes from continual support of students and their work both in and out of the classroom. Throughout his tenure at Overlake, Gerald has shown a commitment to learning in all its forms and his support of the fudge making efforts of the AP Chem students exemplifies what he values most about Overlake. We were very happy to honor him with one of, if not the best, contests yet!”

While Buhaly will be retiring at the end of the school year, he didn’t rule out the possibility of coming back to judge a future contest. What a sweet treat that would be!

To learn more about the chemistry of fudge, click here.