Oh Fudge.

We (I) only make my gram's peanut butter fudge at Christmas time.  No better time than the dead of winter to pack on 5 (15) extra pounds in candy and sweets.  You need that extra layer of warmth.  Especially if you're too fit and are still going to the 6am gym classes that I go to.

Anyhow, this is my gram's recipe for peanut butter fudge.  I don't know if she got it from someone or someplace (I found "her" recipe for Fried Pecans in her Bell's Best cookbook!) but I attribute it to her.  Her chocolate fudge recipe is the same as on the small jar of fluff, so I'll just let you go to the Hannaford to get that recipe.

Peanut Butter Fudge
2 c. peanut butter
1 small jar fluff (7.5 oz)
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. evaporated milk
2 sticks butter
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Empty the peanut butter and fluff into a large bowl and set aside.  In a saucepan, put the sugars and evaporated milk and slowly melt on low heat.  Once it's all melted, bring up to medium and once it starts to boil (not mistaking the bubbles for air bubbles) add the butter and return to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Take off the heat and pour over the peanut butter/fluff.  Add vanilla and salt.  Beat until it's all mixed together and pour into a greased 9x9 pan and cool.

No meat mallet  is needed for this recipe.  Mine was there to keep Andrew from eating the pan of fudge.  He was banished to the wooden spoon and glass bowl remnants.

Brittle: The Easy Way

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.  That's what I'm doing with you vis a vis Peanut Brittle.

This is my grandmother's recipe for Peanut Brittle.  I'd like to change its name from "Microwave Peanut Brittle" to "I Know How You're Gonna Gain Those 10 Holiday Pounds This Year."

It probably shouldn't be this easy to make brittle.  But it is, so here we go:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. kayro syrup
2 c. dry roasted unsalted peanuts
1 tsp butter (my butter was cold...I divided a Tbsp of butter into thirds and used one of the thirds)
1 tsp vanilla (I omitted this because I ran out of vanilla and have already done my grocery shopping this week)
1 tsp baking soda

Combine the sugar and syrup in a large, microwavable bowl and heat on high for 4 minutes.  Stir in peanuts and microwave 4 minutes more.  Add in butter and vanilla; microwave 2 minutes.  Stir in baking soda.  Pour on buttered baking dish (or if you have an obscene amount of Silpats/rubber baking mats, use one of those, as I did.) 

Holy peanuts, Batman!  This brittle is heavy on the peanuts and light on the brittle.  Which is ok by me.

Warning:  Your dentist is going to hate me

I bet you could decrease the amount of peanuts to get a more balanced peanut to brittle ratio.  Which I may try next time.  I'm glad I clipped all those Kayro syrup coupons...