Sunday, November 19, 2023

Alton Brown: Peanut Butter Fudge


Did you know that November 20th is Peanut Butter Fudge Day?  Yeah, me neither.  I had also never had peanut butter fudge, so that definitely needed to be remedied.  But since November 20th is a Monday, I opted to jump in a little early and whip up my batch today, on the 19th.  Holy moly.  This stuff is good - sweet, but you can still taste the peanut butter.  Super fast to pull together, and bonus points for using the microwave instead of making me mess with a pot on the stove and a candy thermometer.  Definitely a "holiday" I can get behind.

Note: I chose to sprinkle 60% bittersweet chips, chopped peanuts, and fleur de sel finishing salt on the top of my fudge.  Not required, but highly recommended.

Peanut Butter Fudge
From Alton Brown

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3¾ cups powdered sugar

Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter. Trim a piece of parchment paper to 8 inches wide and line the pan with the parchment sling, leaving enough overhand on two sides to cover the top of the fudge with later.

Combine the butter and peanut butter in a 4-quart microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap to vent the steam, then microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. (Use caution when removing this mixture from the microwave, it will be very hot.) Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. The mixture will become hard to stir and lose its sheen.

Spread mixture into prepared pan. Fold the excess parchment paper so it covers the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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