FOOL PROOF PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

I hate using a candy thermometer, although I often do. I tend to gravitate towards classic old recipes that say "gently boil for xxx minutes"; I have the BEST luck with those old recipes.

This peanut butter fudge is a good example of one of the recipes I just described. I've made it many, many, many times and it has NEVER failed me.  You can either put it in a  11 x 7 pan or in mini-cupcake papers. The size of the pan doesn't really matter; just remember the smaller the pan the thicker the fudge.

In a large (heavy bottomed) sauce pan, mix:

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk (do not use regular milk)
1/2 cup of good quality butter (do not use margarine)

Constantly stirring, over medium high heat, bring these three ingredients to a full rolling boil.  As soon as it reaches a boil that doesn't go away when you stir it, turn the heat DOWN (my stove burners go from 1-10 and I usually  bring it to a boil on setting 8, then turn it down to setting 3). My rule of thumb is...once it has come to that full rolling boil, turn the heat down by at least half...(you want to keep that full rolling boil going, but just barely). STIR CONSTANTLY.

Once you get that heat adjusted, set the timer for 6 minutes.  After 6 minutes, remove from heat and add:

12 ounces peanut butter chips (2 cups)
1 TABLESPOON of vanilla extract
1 cup dry roasted peanuts (chopped a little)

Stir until smooth and pour into foil lined pan (don't grease the foil). This foil will help you lift the cold fudge out when it is time to cut it up. Chill in refrigerator to "set" the fudge.

If you are putting the fudge into mini-cupcake papers, it makes about 3 dozen.

NOTE: This recipe works well with ANY flavor of chips,  I've used chocolate, dark chocolate, half peanut butter-half chocolate, etc. I'm guessing white chocolate would be pretty for the holidays too (any kind of nut will work too).

MAPLE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE (MICROWAVE)

I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe pages: The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook. I have found some great recipes over there, and I highly recommend their recipe blog.

This quick and easy microwave fudge is totally addicting. I made it the other day and our company went nuts for it (I have to admit that Picky-Picky Hubby and I ate our share as well). The unlikely maple-peanut butter combo is fantastic; not quite peanut butter, not quite maple, hint of butterscotch maybe?

8 ounces salted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 pound of powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8" x 8" buttered pan with parchment paper so that the parchment overhangs enough to fold over, once the pan is filled (I didn't butter the pan).

Place the butter and peanut butter in a large (microwave safe) bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (cut the butter into cubes and mix it into the peanut butter so that it all melts evenly).

Remove the bowl from the microwave (carefully, it is hot), and stir. Re-cover and microwave for (an additional) 2 minutes. Remove from microwave (careful, it is really hot) (watch for hot steam when you remove plastic).

Add the extracts and powdered sugar and stir with wooden spoon (I used my stand mixer). Press into prepared pan and press down until flat and compact. Cover the top of the fudge with extra parchment paper. Place in fridge for 2 to 4 hours.  Bring to room temperature before you try to slice this fudge. I didn't butter the pan, so I had to run a thin knife around the edges before I lifted the fudge out of the pan by using the parchment paper "handles".

Store in air tight container at room temperature. I didn't put mine in an air tight container, I just left it in a bowl with loose fitting lid.

NOTE: If the fudge seems "crumbly" while it is still hot, don't worry about it. Just press it tightly into the prepared pan and when it chills, it will look just like the photo. Eight ounces of butter seems like a lot, but I can guarantee you the fudge does NOT taste greasy at all, it is excellent.

EASY MICROWAVE CANDY

This is the easiest candy I have ever made and better yet, my picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up!! It is fast to make in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving.

12 ounce bag of good quality white chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality milk chocolate chips

3 cups of your favorite whole nuts (see note)

.

Put the chocolate chips in a large, microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for two minutes at 60% power (imperative that you stir every 30 seconds). My microwave took about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

.

Stir until all of the chocolate is smooth, then stir in 3 cups of your favorite whole nuts. I ended up adding five cups of whole mixed nuts and I'm fairly certain I could have added one more cup. This makes a LOT of candy!!

.

The recipe calls for spooning candies onto waxed paper, but I spooned mine into mini-cupcake size paper liners. Put them in the fridge to "set" for about 15 minutes and they are ready to serve.

.

NOTE: The candy will only be as good as the chocolate you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips. (Note: You do not taste the white chocolate when they are all melted together (I don't like white chocolate), but the blend of the 3 chocolates is excellent.

.

NOTE: I used a mixture of whole roasted nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts...delicious.

PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's

Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, where have all the years gone? We are celebrating quietly at home, with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, cherry pie and these little peanut butter beauties!!
They are very easy to make and totally addicting. The filling was adapted from a recipe called Buckeye's, but I changed it a little bit...made them much smaller and completely covered them with chocolate, then decorated with a little white drizzle. These will be wonderful for any holiday gathering.
.
1½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted into a cup)6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
.
Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar with a stand mixer (or your hands) until you get a smooth dough (to measure sugar, sift it into a measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge).
.
Shape the dough into 1" balls and set them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
.
In a double boiler, melt shortening and chocolate together over barely simmering heat. Remove balls from freezer (just about a dozen at a time) & poke a tooth pick into the top of a chilled dough ball (to use as a handle) and dip into chocolate, then sit on a wax paper lined tray & put in fridge (leave the toothpick in the candy until it's chilled again, it is easier to remove that way). Continue until all of the candies are coated (makes about 50 depending on how large you make them.

The chocolate will set (be dry to the touch) after about 10 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge, take out the toothpick and cover up the little toothpick hole with more chocolate. You can cover the little hole with chocolate or white chocolate.

These need to be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I dare you to eat just one!!

FUDGE FOR CHRISTMAS

We are all snowed in today (big storm yesterday) and the temperature didn't get above +20F today (tonight it is zero), so it was a great day to play in the kitchen.

This fudge recipe comes from Tried and True Yummy Recipes and it is excellent. I made a full batch and poured it into these neat little foil stars made by Reynolds foil. If you wrapped them in a clear cellophane bag and tied them with bright Christmas ribbon, I think they would be a perfect little "Merry Christmas" gift for the mail man, school teacher, newspaper boy and even stocking stuffers.


The little foil pans (24 in a box) come in a variety of shapes. The foil is rigid enough to contain the hot fudge, but also soft enough (when the fudge has cooled and set) that it can be peeled back like a candy bar wrapper.
4 cups white sugar
1 twelve ounce can of evaporated milk
2 sticks of good quality butter (not margarine)
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla
chopped nuts if desired

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the white sugar and evaporated milk; boil for six minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until melted and pour into a foil lined 9 x 13 pan. Cool in the fridge to set.
NOTE: I used one package of semi-sweet chocolate chips and one package of peanut butter chips and a cup of dry roasted peanuts, it was delicious.


NOTE: Any kind of chocolate chip would work in this recipe I'm sure. Two packages of peanut butter chips would make a nice peanut butter fudge.

Dulce de Leche -- The Easiest Method Ever!!

I am fairly new to dulce de leche; I just know I want to bake with this deliciously thick, creamy caramel for the holidays AND that it is expensive. I received a lot of replies to my post asking you if you knew anything about making dulce de leche. One response, from Pam H., has made me a very happy camper!! She sent me a link to A Year of Slow Cooking. There, they had a "recipe" for making this stuff in your crockpot!!! Yes, you heard me right, the crockpot!! I was very skeptical, but last night, I put it to the test and let me tell you it works like a dream!!! Thank you so much to Pam H. for sending me the link.

I must start out this post by telling you that the people that make Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk never anticipated people heating their product in an unopened can. As a matter of fact, I'm sure they would disapprove, so please, if you try this method, use common sense caution. I am a little concerned that some of you are talking about boiling an unopened can in a pot of water. I CAN NOT RECOMMEND THAT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T TRIED IT. It may be very safe, it may not, I just don't know. I would hate to have the can blow up on you. Some web sites recommended cooking it in a pressure cooker, so the cans must be pretty tough. All I know is that the low & even heat of the crockpot for 8 hours worked extremely well for me.

All you do is place the UNOPENED can of sweetened condensed milk in your crockpot and fill the crockpot with water, making sure that the water is at least 2" above the top of the can. Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 8 hours...that's it!!! Take the can out of the hot water carefully, and let it cool for at least a couple hours before you open it. If you aren't going to use it right away, don't even open the can, just label it and put it back on the shelf!! It could not be easier. This is what it looked when I opened the can:

Crockpot Dulce de Leche

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

This recipe makes a big pan of peanut brittle right in your microwave; no candy thermometer and almost no stirring. The hardest part of this recipe is figuring out what wattage your microwave is (so you can adjust the cooking time). Be careful though, this candy is highly addictive and best of all, it doesn't stick to your teeth like a lot of brittle's do!

I'll give you the ingredients first, and then talk about microwaves and cooking times:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup (like Karo)
1 cup salted peanuts
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 level teaspoons baking soda

Prepare everything you need before you start the microwave. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray (see note below), measure out the nuts, butter, vanilla and baking soda, set it all within arms reach.

Basic instructions are: In a 2 & 1/2 quart microwave safe bowl, mix the sugar and corn syrup until all of the sugar is moist. Microwave on high for xxx minutes, remove from microwave and quickly stir in the peanuts. Microwave on high for xxx minutes, remove and stir in butter and vanilla. Microwave on high for xxx minutes and remove for the last time. Stir in the baking soda. It will foam up; try and distribute the baking soda with as few strokes as possible since every stroke (after it foams up) will reduce the number of air bubbles (air bubbles = good candy). Pour the hot candy out onto a prepared cookie sheet and TILT the cookie sheet to help the hot candy to "move" (don't use a utensil here...just tilt the pan). Be careful, this candy (and the pan you tilt) are going to be hotter than blazes, so be careful. When candy is at room temperature (it's going to take a while), break into pieces.

The following directions were written for a 900 watt microwave:
Microwave on high 4 minutes, add peanuts, microwave on high for 3 & 1/2 minutes, stir in butter and vanilla microwave 1 & 1/2 minutes. Remove and add baking soda.

The following directions were written for a 1100 watt microwave"
Microwave on high for 3 minutes 45 seconds, add nuts and microwave for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, add vanilla and butter and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and add baking soda.

The following directions are for a 1500 watt microwave. This is the only one I can vouch for, since my microwave is 1500 watts. Three minutes on high, add peanuts, microwave on high 3 more minutes, add butter and vanilla and microwave on high 1 minute, remove and stir in baking soda.

NOTE: The original recipe said to grease a cookie sheet. I've done that with other brittle recipes, and it gives the back side of your candy a greasy feel. If you pour the hot candy onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, it will pop right off of the paper when it cools.

NOTE: It is good (but not necessary) to warm up the peanuts a little before you add them.

NOTE: Don't even TRY to wash the bowl and utensils by hand, just throw them in the dishwasher and they will come out clean.

NOTE: The first time you make this peanut brittle, keep an eye on the candy (as it cooks). You are going for a nice golden color, not a golden brown.

NOTE: Store finished candy in an air tight container (or it will get sticky).

PEANUT BUTTER CANDY (sort of like a Pay Day candy bar)

If you like Pay Day candy bars, you will love this recipe. It tastes very similar, but SO much fresher and better. This recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan of candy, which would be an excellent addition to your children's birthday party menu! They take just a few minutes to put together and then an hour or so in the fridge, to "set".
4 cups honey roasted peanuts
(1) 10½ ounce bag miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup butter (melted)
(1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
(1) 10 ounce bag peanut butter chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

Line a 9 x 13 dish with foil and spray it with cooking spray (I spray my foil with cooking spray then blot it with a paper towel so it doesn't make the candy greasy). Set aside.

In a large (heavy bottomed) saucepan, mix the marshmallows and melted butter. Heat over medium-low heat until completely melted (you do not want the marshmallows to boil, but you want to see a little bubble now and then). Keep it at this temperature for about a minute. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter chips and peanut butter. Stir until everything is melted and smooth.

Pour this mixture over the peanuts in the pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the other half of the peanuts over the hot mixture and press the nuts into the surface of the hot mixture (with your hand). Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces and serve. Store covered in fridge. Makes 60 pieces of candy.