These shoes have now finally been outgrown by my youngest! They began as my son's, and when our youngest (daughter) came along, you can see I refurbished them (by coloring them pink with a marker) for his little sister. It is a little bittersweet that we are finally retiring these shoes!
These have been well-loved, and we are thankful for the many hours of outside play they helped to cushion! Bye-bye, beloved shoes!
"I've outgrown my favorite shoes?!"
As we started preparing for Christmas, I brought up our holiday dishes to be washed and sorted.
OK, now comes something I debated ever doing, but I want to explain WHY I am doing it!
I used to covet my mom's peanut butter fudge recipe very closely. It felt kinda like a secret that I should never reveal, and that only *I* should know the secret to the fudge in order to wow everyone during the holidays. The only problem is, our family is so incredibly small, that very few people ever actually are able to enjoy this fudge.
I searched my soul, and I decided that mom's fudge is just too delicious to keep to myself. Everyone should enjoy this recipe. Besides, the more people who make this recipe and share it with others, the more my mom's energy kinda gets passed around as well. Does that sound strange? I guess what I'm saying is that a tiny part of my mom (her fantastic fudge recipe) can now live on in other people's homes. I searched my heart and decided that my mom would love that. I think she'd like the idea that more people could enjoy this yummy recipe.
So, there you have it, and so without further ado, I would like to introduce you all to
Martha P's Peanut Butter Fudge
(the full recipe will be at the end)
I gather all of the ingredients together and have everything at the ready. I spray a glass bowl with a little cooking spray and then measure the peanut butter and the fluff and scoop them into the bowl. This makes it easier later to apply them quickly to the hot sugar.
I pour the sugar into the (cold, unheated) pan first
I cover the sugar with the milk. If you have spots where the sugar peeks up out of the milk, very gently use a wooden spoon to spread only that little spot of sugar out a little more so that the milk covers all the sugar. Ideally you will smooth out the sugar first and then pour the milk over in such a way that it covers all the sugar with a minimum of stirring. Stirring = crystallization, and you do NOT want that.
On medium high heat, bring the sugar and milk to a full, rolling boil. It will look like it is "foamy" and should come up from the center and roll back to the sides repeatedly. If the sides seem like they are not fully being incorporated, very (VERY) gently scrape alongside the edge of the sugar with a wooden spoon - only once or possibly twice. Again, you want to avoid crystallization, so really you want to leave it alone as much as possible!
Once it is well and truly a full rolling boil (and not a moment before!), set your timer for 6 minutes and let it keep boiling. Have all your stuff ready, because at the end of the 6 minutes you will be removing it from the heat and working very quickly!
Here's the PB, fluff and little cap-full of vanilla waiting alongside the spatula and whisk. Notice the plastic container. That's for the "leftovers" - I always keep a tiny bit in the pan to use as a gauge as to how well the fudge is cooling, and also because we always want to sample some before it is ready! I also put the whisk in there when I'm done, for further "testing" of the fudge!
The pot holder is where the hot pot will be sitting
You can use 2 smaller pans (on the left), or 1 large pan to pour the fudge into.
The spoon has also been sprayed with cooking spray, so that the PB and fluff will not stick to it as much
It is tradition to display the recipe, but of course I memorized it long ago
Once the pot has boiled 6 minutes, remove it from the heat and instantly add the vanilla. Don't stir just yet! Now quickly add the PB and fluff and whisk like crazy! You want to incorporate it all into the milk/sugar with as few lumps as possible. When you feel it has all been incorporated (it will take about 50 hard-fought stirrings with the whisk), then pour it into the pan(s). Save a tiny bit for your "test container", and using the spatula, try to gently smooth out the top of the fudge (and then use the spatula to get all the excess into your test container).
Don't cover right away - leave uncovered for about an hour to see how it is going to set. If it still seems a bit soft, leave the cover off overnight to help it dry out a bit.
There you have it! Don't be discouraged if it comes out too soft or too dry. It is a little bit of a science to get fudge to set properly, and sometimes due to no fault of your own, it simply will not cooperate.
If you make this, please say a little "Thanks Martha P." Maybe, just maybe, her spirit will help make the fudge set properly!
Recipe:
4 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of 2% milk (it does make a difference to use 2%)
2 cups of peanut butter (we prefer chunky for this recipe)
2 cups of Fluff (melted marshmallows do not seem to act the same)
1 tsp (I use 1 capful) of (real) vanilla extract
1. (have all ingredients ready to go....) Add sugar to a large pot (mine is a glazed cast iron pot). Smooth out. Add the milk to cover the sugar. No stirring!
2. Turn on the stove to medium high and bring to a full, rolling boil. Again, no stirring! Use a wooden spoon and VERY gently trace around the edges ONLY if absolutely necessary. Try to avoid doing this, though! Once it has achieved a full rolling boil, set your timer for 6 minutes and continue boiling.
3. When the timer goes off, remove from heat. Quickly add the vanilla (it will "sizzle" for a second), then add the PB and fluff and begin to whisk (use a sturdy whisk for this!).
4. Whisk, whisk, whisk! You must work quickly, so things start to get incorporated while things are still at the "candy" temperature!
5. Pour into pans (no need to grease the pans) and allow to cool. Pour excess into a test bowl. After an hour, check the test fudge and see how it is setting up. If after 2 hours it is still "soupy", then it is unlikely to set (sorry!). I personally don't put the cover on my fudge until several hours later, or even the next day.
Enjoy, and realize that a truly wonderful woman - who had an amazingly kind heart, quick wit, great intelligence and wonderful soul - is behind this recipe!! May her joy of life live on through many, many batches of delicious fudge!
No comments:
Post a Comment