So how did we celebrate Father’s Day? By using the holiday as an excuse to knock out a recipe for National Fudge Day–which was also Sunday, June 17th! And did we hear any complaints? No, because we didn’t bother trying some kind of healthy fudge variant. We made our cooking seem like a Father’s Day present by running with this amazing recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge. Even better, it was easy and fun enough that we got the kids to help in the kitchen, so they got to look all attentive for Father’s Day, too. This is what we happy homemakers call a sweet con… [image via flickr]
Ingredients
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips (choose your favorite: semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate)
- ½ cup of milk or evaporated milk
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of butter (one tablespoon for smaller or shallower pans)
Directions
- Take a 9×9 fudge pan or small cake pan and butter it up to keep the fudge from sticking. Set aside.
- In a small pot, add the sugar, chocolate chips, milk, and vanilla. Heat up on high and constantly stir to ensure that the contents don’t scorch.
- Once the chocolate mixture is fully melted, take it off the stove. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and pour the mixture in. Beat well until the mixture is creamy.
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan.
- Allow the mixture to cool until solid. Afterwards, you can cut it into small squares and serve.
This peanut butter chocolate fudge is easy to make and your kids will enjoy helping you in the kitchen. Best of all, it doesn’t require any baking, so it’s a great summer recipe for desserts or snack. If you want to mix up the recipe a little, try adding small marshmallow bites or nuts to the mix. Almond slices, pecans, macadamia nuts or walnuts are always tasty choices.
A few notes to keep in mind: you can choose the specific flavor of chocolate in your fudge. If you love the classic fudge taste, you should opt for milk chocolate. If you prefer a richer flavor, consider using dark chocolate. If you like the nuances of semi-sweet, pick semi-sweet chocolates. As for peanut butter, you can use one whole cup or you can use peanut butter flavored chips instead. If you go with the latter, you’ll want to mix the peanut butter chips in with the melted chocolate fudge mixture. When you’re done, you can pour it into a bowl and mix before pouring it into the fudge pan.
There’s no wondering why fudge (and its alternative, hot fudge) is such a summer staple in the US–it’s absolutely delicious! Feel free to experiment with different flavors and additions, or go to your local candy shop to “get inspired”. Happy cooking!
