Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

The key to great peanut butter fudge recipe-or any fudge, for that matter--is in the cooling process. While you do not want sugar crystals to form in most candies, you do want them to form in fudge. The crystals are very small, so they feel smooth on your tongue, instead of grainy.

You do not want the crystals to form too early, and that is why the key to great fudge is in the cooling process. The trick is to not stir the fudge during the cooling stage. It must be undisturbed until it reaches about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Stirring during the time it takes the fudge to cool to 110 degrees Fahrenheit increases the risk that the crystals will form too soon.

Sugar molecules will attach themselves to anything in the fudge. It could be some sucrose molecules that are stuck together, or an air bubble, or even a little piece of dust. Once a crystal forms, it will grow bigger as the fudge cools. While you want some crystals in fudge, too many big crystals make the fudge have a grainy texture.

If you let the fudge cool without stirring, you have a less likelihood of introducing air pockets into the mixture, therefore a less chance of larger crystals forming. Stirring also helps the sucrose molecules find each other, and can cause crystals to attach to each other, forming the large clumps of crystals, giving the fudge a grainy texture.

When the fudge cools to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, stir the fudge. It is now that you want to start the crystallization process. Keep stirring until the fudge becomes thick. The more you stir, the more crystals you get-but these are the tiny crystals that give fudge it's thick, velvety smoothness.

Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

---BREAK---

• 1 C. Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 C. Brown sugar
• ½ C. Peanut butter
• ¾ C. Milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

In saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar, salt, brown sugar and peanut butter until very smooth.

Stir in milk and slowly bring to a boil. Continue boiling without stirring until the mixture reaches a temperature of 238 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the soft ball stage.

While the fudge is cooling prepare a fudge pan by buttering the pan.

Cool without beating to a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the mixture feels just warm. Add vanilla and beat the mixture until it loses its gloss and thickens. Pour into a buttered pan and cut when cool.