7 Food Gifts – #5 Alton Brown’s EASY Peanut Butter Fudge

For the fifth food gift from my 7 Food Gifts post, I made peanut butter fudge. This peanut butter fudge is mixed with whole and halved peanuts for a nice crunch! It’s the EASIEST recipe every, it doesn’t require baking, just a microwave. If you need a quick food gift, this is it. It’s delicious, *thoughtful*, peanut butter-licious, and serves a lot.

I got the recipe from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Alton Brown.

EASY Peanut Butter Fudge

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com
Yield: 8×8 inch pan of fudge

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup of peanuts (optional)

Directions

Combine the butter and peanut butter in a 4-quart microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 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. Add cup of peanuts if desired. Mix in until evenly distributed in fudge mixture.
Spread into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. 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.

Like I said, easy peasy, microwave and stir until smooth. Then add nuts if you like. I did it because it gives it a nice crunch and breaks up some of the sweetness of the fudge mixture.