Cooking with Facts

Walking along the muddy streets of Altoona, I could enter multiple street fronts and not find a single shop with a good taste for baked goods.

That is a broad assumption on my part, but it is true for me in all honesty.

So, when my family or I am in critical need of a good sweet.. desperate times call for desperate measures.

What really ticks me off; however, is that under similar circumstances I can open a laptop, go through the millions of colorful websites and online cooking blogs, and still have trouble finding a good recipe for the item I wish to make.

Eventually, I will have to admit defeat and begin creating my own blueprints for the best possible cuisine; for now though, I will continue as is and tell you the recipe I have managed to find for this week.

Fudge in general can be quite difficult to make. Or, at best, finding a recipe that isn’t too incredibly sweet or salty is the hard part. The one I found at http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_peanut_butter_fudge/ ; however, is for some of the best peanut butter fudge I’ve ever tasted. Being neither a sickeningly sugary mess or lip-puckering salty mistake; it is the perfect balance of both- in a good way, of course.

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes

• Cook time: 10 minutes

• Cooling Time time: Cooling Time

• Yield: 64 squares

Have your lined baking pan ready to go before you start and work fast once you remove the saucepan from the heat. As the fudge starts to cool, it can become difficult work with.

I use smooth peanut butter in this fudge, but if you prefer a little texture, feel free to use the same amount of chunky peanut butter in its place.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 6 regular-sized marshmallows (NOT mini or jumbo marshmallows, certified gluten-free if needed)

• 3/4 cup (150 g) white granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups (420 g) smooth peanut butter

Equipment:

• 8×8-inch square baking pan

Method

1 Prepare the baking pan: Lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking oil. Line with parchment paper.

2 Warm the milk and marshmallows: Place the milk and the marshmallows in medium pan. Turn the heat to medium low and gently heat the milk. Stir constantly until the marshmallows have melted. If the milk starts to foam up too much, reduce the heat.

3 Stir in the sugars, followed by the remaining ingredients: Once the marshmallows have melted, add both sugars and continue to cook on medium low heat while stirring until the sugars have dissolved and the liquid is smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and peanut butter. Stir until smooth and incorporated into the batter.

4 Pour the hot fudge into the prepared pan: Once the fudge batter is smooth and uniform, immediately pour it into the prepared pan and smooth out with spatula or butter knife.

5 Cool and cut the fudge: Let the fudge cool in the pan overnight. Lift from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container. The fudge keeps for about a week at room temperature or 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.