How to Make Peanut Butter Fudge

Are you looking for great tasting yet simple peanut butter fudge recipe? If you're in the candy making (or eating) mood, take a departure from the usual chocolate treats by making a batch of creamy peanut butter fudge. Like its chocolate counterpart, peanut butter fudge melts in your mouth and pairs easily with ingredients like nuts and dried fruit. Its mild, nutty flavor will definitely make a distinct impression on your taste buds. This guide will show you how to create the treat on the stove top or in the microwave. Either way, the recipe (and its delectable variations with chocolate, cherries and nuts) will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.

• 3 cups sugar

• 1 cup butter

• 1 cup peanut butter

• 2/3 cup evaporated milk

• 7 ounces marshmallow cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Saucepan

• Wooden spoon

• Candy thermometerAmazon.com: Candy/Deep Fryer Thermometer

• Greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish

• Knife

Creative Commons photo by [http://flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/82917905/ Old Shoe Woman

1. Place the sugar, butter and evaporated milk in the saucepan.Recipezaar: Best Ever Peanut Butter Fudge
2. Heat on medium until the mixture reaches about 240 degrees Fahrenheit.Food Network: Eve's Peanut Butter Fudge
3. Remove from heat.Jif.com: Peanut Butter Fudge
4. Stir in the peanut butter, marshmallow cream and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.Jif.com: Peanut Butter Fudge
5. Pour into greased baking dish.All Recipes: Grandma's Peanut Butter Fudge
6. Chill in the refrigerator until the fudge is firm.Recipezaar: Best Ever Peanut Butter Fudge
7. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares before serving.Food Network: Eve's Peanut Butter Fudge

1. Microwave 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes.Food Network: Peanut Butter Fudge

2. Stir the mixture, then microwave for another 2 minutes.Group Recipes: Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge

3. Stir in 1 pound of confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.Recipezaar: No-Cook Peanut Butter Fudge

4. Press the mixture into a greased 8 x 8-inch pan

5. Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, until cool.North Pole: No Cook Peanut Butter Fudge

6. Cut the fudge into squares.

7. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.Food Network: Peanut Butter Fudge

Use a candy thermometer or sold water test to ensure the fudge has reached the correct temperature (Creative Commons photo by AuthenticEccentric)

1. If you don't have a candy thermometer available, use a "cold water test" to ensure the fudge has reached the correct temperature.Taste of Home: Cold Water Test for Candy
   • -Place a few drops of the mixture into a cup of cold water.Better Homes and Gardens: How to Make Fudge
   • -Form it into a ball with your fingertips.Better Homes and Gardens: How to Make Fudge
   • -If the ball flattens when you remove it from the water, it has reached the desired temperature.Exploratorium: Soft-Ball Stage
2. If your fudge sticks to the pan as you stir it, consider coating the saucepan with butter before you add the ingredients.A1 Top Tips: Fudge Making Tips
3. If the weather is rainy and humid, achieve the proper consistency by cooking the mixture for an additional 30 seconds to slightly increase the temperature.A1 Top Tips: Fudge Making Tips
4. To store leftover fudge longer than a week, wrap it in waxed paper and aluminum foil inside a plastic container and place it in the freezer.Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge: FAQs

• Turn plain peanut butter fudge into a backdrop for additional flavors with these variations on the basic recipe. You'll also find a few guilt-free peanut butter fudge versions to try.

1. Add buttermilk for an even richer blend of flavor.Food Network: Buttermilk Peanut Butter Fudge
2. Create chocolate peanut butter fudge with the inclusion of semi sweet chocolate chips.Recipe Ladies: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
3. Try a mix of canned pumpkin, brownie mix and peanut butter to make a low-fat and chocolatey version of the fudge.Fitness Magazine: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
4. Use cream cheese and a sugar substitute to create a low-carb version.Recipezaar: Low-Carb Choclate Peanut Butter Fudge
5. Try unsweetened chocolate and a sugar substitute to make a batch of sugar-free chocolate peanut butter fudge.About.com: Sugar-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge