Candy Recipe: Easy Peasy Fudge

Friday, December 26, 2008 - by Cindy

Certainly there is nothing more fattening satisfying that a piece of rich, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth fudge. Our family has vacationed in the Great Smoky Mountains area several times, and one thing we never fail to do while there is purchase some of the gourmet handmade fudge from one (or more) of the candy shops. I associate other areas with delicious fudge as well, areas such as Amish Country in Pennsylvania and Ohio and the boardwalk of basically any beach. Where there are tourists, there will be fudge.

I was thrilled to discover that the local Sugar Shak sells handmade fudge just as temptingly mouthwatering as any I’ve gotten while on vacation. But at $3.50 a pound, one can’t help but wonder – can’t I make this stuff at home?

Of course you can, but then you’ll have to use a candy thermometer or a cup of ice water to determine when the mixture reaches the soft ball stage. You’ll have to water down the sides of the pot early on to wash away all the sugar grains so that your fudge won’t be crunchy instead of smooth. Right? Right? Wrong!

I have for your confectionery enjoyment a super easy and fast recipe for peanut butter fudge that produces a fudge equal to any gourmet brand you’ve ever tried. I promise.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar and water in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until thick. (It can help to have two people so you can take turns.) Pour into 8″x8″ pan and allow to cool.

For all the chocolate lovers out there, I’ll share a slightly different recipe for chocolate fudge. Now, this one doesn’t produce the gourmet texture that the peanut butter recipe produces. I’m sorry about that, but we all know you’ll eat it anyway.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Line an 8″x8″ square dish with aluminum foil. (Unlike the peanut butter fudge recipe, this chocolate fudge will stick to the pan – don’t skip the aluminum foil! I speak from experience… I skipped it.)

Place chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 1 more minute; stir until completely smooth. Stir in vanilla and pour into prepared dish. Refrigerate until firm – about two hours.

This morning, I was unloading the dishwasher (I try to do my part, you know…) when I found the container that we’d been keeping the fudge in. What? The fudge is gone? Noooooooooooo!! That can only mean one thing. It’s time to make more.