I’m going to be honest; I’m not a huge fan of fudge, even though I have several recipes on Eat Laugh Purr. As I’ve said before, I’m more of a savory girl and fudge is very, very rich for me. I can generally eat only a bite or two, which may be a good thing. 🙂 But I’m making fudge today. Why? Because I’m on a quest to redeem myself.
A few months ago, when my brother was visiting, I made some peanut butter fudge. There was a half can of condensed milk in my fridge begging to be used, so after doing some searching online, I stumbled across a peanut butter fudge recipe that … you guessed it—needed a half can of condensed milk. Well, to be blunt, I didn’t like it. Neither did my big brother.
He is too polite to say anything bad, but the fact that he didn’t stuff his face with it, made it pretty apparent that neither of us were overly enchanted with this fudge. I was pretty bummed about it and have been searching for the perfect peanut butter fudge since then.
My needs are simple; I hate candy thermometers. I only use them for caramels and only because caramels are my absolute favorite holiday candy. But otherwise, I really have to be enamored with the recipe to pull out the dreaded candy thermometer.
It’s important to note that is no real logic behind my disdain of candy thermometers. It’s just fussy and I hate fussy. I like simple!
So the perfect peanut butter fudge would not need a candy thermometer; it would be easy to make and most importantly—it was taste delicious! So good that my brother would devour a mountain of fudge while I watched with great satisfaction. My pride would be restored and all would be right in the world again.
So did I find the perfect recipe? Yes, I’d like to think so! This recipe is decadent (as fudge should be) and rich and creamy and …. yes, it is delicious! Sure, it’s still a bit too rich for me to eat more than a nibble, but I have that issue with almost all fudge. The one little bite that I can take is … bliss. Pure bliss.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter*
- 1 cup 2 sticks or 230g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
- 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar*
- 3/4 cup add-ins such as miniature chocolate chips, peanuts or mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang so you can easily remove and cut the finished fudge.
- In a large microwaveable bowl, add the butter and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir. Repeat until mixture is melted and smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the salt if you prefer a salty/sweet fudge and I highly recommend you do add the salt. Add the confectioners sugar and stir until completely combined. The mixture will be very thick, similar to cookie dough.
- Press half the fudge into prepared baking pan. Next Sprinkle your add-ons over fudge, then spread remaining fudge smoothly over top, using a spatula. Optional, top with a few mini peanut butter cups, slightly pushing them into fudge. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces. They taste best at room temperature, so ideally bring them back up to room temp before serving.
- Fudge may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the fudge for up to 2 months (My Mom always does this. She makes fudge in advance and takes it out for the holidays.). Fudge will thaw after 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.
Notes
Enjoy!
Tanya