Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Gluten Free Fudge - Peanut Butter and Chocolate


Fudge is great anytime of year, but the Holidays is when we crave it the most.

When I was a young boy, every Thanksgiving and Christmas was celebrated with a huge dinner and get together at Grandmas house.  There was always several Aunts that thought their fudge was supreme and they would make multiple batches of various kinds of fudge and vie for supremacy of the dessert table.

I grew up addicted to fudge.  As the years went on and I got older, the trips back home for the Holiday get together at Grandmas grew less frequent for everyone and eventually stopped all together.

Only recently have I begun making fudge a part of Our Holidays again.  You would think that fudge is always and naturally gluten free.  It isn't.  There are two ingredients that could contain gluten.  You must read these labels thoroughly.  The powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar can contain gluten but not always.  The Pure Vanilla Extract can contain gluten if it is in a grain derived alcohol.   For the pure vanilla extract, I use McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract.  Their company has an awesome "gluten free" philosophy in labeling.  Plus the alcohol used is not "grain derived".

Both, My Peanut butter Fudge and My Chocolate Fudge, are the exact same recipe except for the addition of 1 cup of cocoa to the chocolate fudge.

Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 stick of unsalted sweet cream butter (8 tablespoons)
2  cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

(only for chocolate fudge)
1 cup Cocoa

extra butter to grease containers with.

Before starting butter the containers that you are going to set-up the fudge in.

Now for the fudge.  Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the brown sugar. (If making the chocolate fudge add the cocoa at this point too.)


Bring to a boil stirring constantly.


Once boiling, let boil for 2 minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat after 2 minutes of boiling and add the peanut butter and the pure vanilla extract.

* The next couple of steps are fast and furious. *

In a large mixing bowl pour the boiling hot mixture on top of the powdered sugar and vigorously mix together by hand until smooth. (This needs to be done fast as possible, for the fudge will set up quickly once the powdered sugar is mixed thoroughly in.)

Pour into your prepared pre-buttered containers.  I use those Glad and Ziploc plastic sandwich tubs.

Cool until fudge is set up.  Turn container upside down over a cutting board to remove the fudge.  Cut into desired size squares and serve.
Enjoy!



No comments:

Post a Comment