Peanut butter fudge and then some

What is it about peanut butter fudge? That rich creamy melt in your mouth sinful treat? Knowing you should stop with just one bite, but there is just no way possible. You take one small bite, just to satisfy that craving and before you realize it, the entire tin is gone and you don’t even remember eating it all and all you can think about it “where has it gone and how can I get some more?” That’s the lure and addiction of really good peanut butter fudge. Some people are choc-a-holics, I’m a peanut butter addict. Peanut butter fudge, cookies, candy, pie even… But how did peanut butter fudge come to be? Where did fudge even start? And how did it happen? Well, in doing some research, I discovered that fudge was actually a very good “oops”. Did you know that fudge is actually a drier version of fondant – the sugar syrup paste used to coat many cakes and confections. It is made by boiling sugar in milk to the soft ball stage then beating the mixture while it cools so it acquires a smooth creamy texture. Fudge is an all American invention dating to back around 1886 and actually came about from a bungled batch of caramels. The interjection “Oh fudge!” was shouted and hence the name for the confection was born – or something to that effect. Anyway, it’s probably the most delicious mistake I’ve ever eaten. One of the first documented accounts of fudge as an actual candy/confection was from Emelyn Battersby Hartridge in 1886. Emelyn wrote a letter while attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York that a schoolmate’s cousin in Baltimore made and sold fudge candy. She made her own batch in 1888, obtaining the recipe and making it for the Vassar Senior Auction. Word quickly spread to other women’s colleges. Wellesley and Smith followed suit and developed their own “original” versions of Emelyn’s fudge recipe. The original fudge recipes were very delicate and precise. Calling for exact measurements and cooking times and constant stirring to ensure perfect fudge. The recipe looks simple enough, but it was very easy to either overcook or undercook a batch.

“Original” Fudge Recipe (Emelyn Hartridge, Vassar College)

2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup cream
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon butter

Combine sugar and cream and cook over moderate heat. When this becomes very hot, add the chocolate. Stir constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°-238°F). Remove from heat and add butter. Cool slightly, then mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a buttered tin. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces before fudge hardens completely.


Fudge is a very hard candy to master, but so delicious to eat. Cooks over the years have experimented with the recipe in an effort to make a more “goof proof” fudge and to vary the flavors. Fudge today is made plain or with nuts, marshmallows, maple, orange, rum, peanut butter…you name it. There are so many tasty fudge candies that it’s hard to settle on which is your favorite… It’s hard, but not impossible and I go back to peanut butter fudge each and every time. I really cannot resist the rich creamy taste. The first time I tasted the peanut butter fudge at Tanners Pecans I was hooked. I have eaten my fair share and then some of peanut butter fudge, but never tasted anything as creamy and rich and sinfully sweet as what I tasted here at Tanners Pecans. Of course I wanted the recipe, but they would not divulge their secret… and who could blame them? It was literally the best I’ve ever had! But I was able to learn that white chocolate mixed with the peanut butter is what gives it that irresistible creamy rich taste and texture. And even though I have not be able to obtain the Tanners peanut butter fudge recipe, I have been able to find one almost exactly like it – taste wise:

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge:

1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate squares or white baking bars, chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract.

In heavy saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter over medium heat until just bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate until smooth. Immediately stir in pecans and vanilla. Spread evenly into wax paper lined 8-or 9-inch square pan. Cool. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts if desired. Cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

This recipe is so simple and almost impossible to mess up… it became an instant favorite of mine and I usually make it at least once during the holidays. For an extra tasteful treat, substitute crunchy peanut butter for the creamy in your peanut butter fudge. This gives you the kick of peanuts and pecans. Oh, my mouth is watering now just thinking about it. I may just have to pick up some peanut butter fudge on my way out of the door today.

Sunday afternoons with chocolate pecan pie

Sunday afternoons in the South… fried chicken, black eye peas, mashed potatoes, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and chocolate pecan pie…Family gathered around the dinner table enjoying conversation and each other’s company. Is there anything more scrumptious? It’s funny how certain foods and desserts automatically conjure up images of the South. Chocolate pecan pie is a southern tradition, just like regular pecan pie, but with the little something extra. A sweet chocolate taste that delights the taste buds, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh so delicious. The first time I tasted the chocolate pecan pie at Tanner’s Pecans I was taken back to those lazy Sunday afternoons with my grandmother in the kitchen and my parents and aunts and uncles talking and laughing and us kids playing without a care in the world. I would always sneak into the kitchen to help my grandmother cook and bake. How else was I supposed to become a good Southern cook if I didn’t help? She would always smile and welcome me and let me be her little helper. Sometimes I was more of a hindrance then help, but she did not care. And it was through her love and patience that I gained my love of baking and fine Southern cuisine. My grandmother never used a recipe. It always fascinated me how she just knew how much and of what to put in… never really used a measuring cup or spoons either. Just a little of this and a bit of that. The older I got, I would try my best to write down as I went along so that I could make her desserts on my own. Her chocolate pecan pie recipe always made two pies, but it is so easy to cut in half and make only one:

Chocolate Pecan Pie

* 3 cups granulated sugar
* pinch of salt
* 7 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
* 4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1 stick butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
* 1 cup pecan halves, and 2 unbaked pecan pie shells – deep dish.

Mix sugar, salt, and cocoa together. Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk; stir into the dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until well blended. Sprinkle pecan halves in the pie shell, about 1/2 cup in each shell. Pour filling over the pecans. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is set and the center is just slightly jiggly. Makes 2 pies.

I can smell the chocolate pecan pie cooking now. And it never had to be a holiday or special occasion to make it. Not like a traditional pecan pie that is usually thought of at Thanksgiving time or a spice cake that is more thought of during the colder months – chocolate pecan pie was good at anytime or at any meal. And even though I love my grandmother’s chocolate pecan pie, I am also a huge cake fan. And I went in search of a way to take that delicious taste and transform it into a cake… and I think I was able to do that by incorporating marshmallows for the vanilla ice cream taste.

Chocolate Pecan Marshmallow Cake:

* 6 ounces butter (3/4 cup, 1 1/2 sticks)
*1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
* 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 6 ounces miniature marshmallows, about 3 cups.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, nuts and vanilla; mix well. Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Bake chocolate marshmallow cake at 325° for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and place miniature marshmallows on top of hot cake. Let marshmallows melt then frost with icing (below) while still warm.

ICING:
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 lb confectioners sugar (about 3 1/2 cups un-sifted)
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* milk for consistency.

Mix all ingredients together, adding milk until desired spreading consistency is reached; spread on warm chocolate marshmallow cake. Cool chocolate marshmallow cake thoroughly before serving.

This cake has become a family favorite also and like the chocolate pecan pie, it can be served for any occasion and not just for holidays. And the older I got, the more I began experimenting and finding my own recipes. I came across this chocolate pecan pie recipe that uses corn syrup like in a traditional pecan pie. It is already cut down to make just one pie and it is no less delicious.

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Corn Syrup:

*4 ounces semisweet chocolate
* 2 tablespoons margarine, melted
* 3 eggs 1/3 cup sugar , 1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
* 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell- homemade or frozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a double boiler melt chocolate and margarine. Let cool slightly. Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate mixture, and vanilla; stir until well blended. Mix in pecans. Set pie shell on heavy-duty baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until knife inserted midway between center and rim comes out clean. Cool pie on wire rack to room temperature before cutting.

I prefer to use light corn syrup, it seems to give the chocolate pecan pie a lighter taste or in any pecan pie. But the pie is delicious either way, a sweet rich southern dessert. So, go ahead and start your own Sunday dinner tradition… or just any day really. It doesn’t have to be Sunday or even dinner time to enjoy good old southern chocolate pecan pie.

Versatile Roasted Pecans

Roasted pecans… probably one of the best holiday treats ever - that salty pecan taste bursting with flavor. I remember when I was growing up, sitting around on holiday occasions talking and visiting with family and friends – there was always roasted pecans. When I smell them roasting in the oven and when I take a bite it always makes me think of fond holiday memories.

I love the taste of pecan – being from the south it’s a given. You can just do so much with them – make them into pies, cakes, cookies, candy….You can add them to so many of your foods and desserts, but sometimes a really good lightly salted roasted pecan is so simple and so good. I love to take them and heat them up just a bit and eat them warm – makes the flavor seem that much more intense.

My grandmother always made them. She took big plump pecan halves and lightly roasted and salted them. But on special occasions – and in the cooler months, she’d spice them up with cinnamon or nutmeg. They were so delicious. I would eat them by the handfuls. I would wake up to the smell of roasted pecans with cinnamon and sugar.

And they were so easy to make:

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 1/4 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
  

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (105 degrees C). Lightly grease a rimmed baking pan. Combine the egg white and water in a mixing bowl; beat until fluffy. Fold in the pecans to coat evenly. Combine the sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon in a shaker or cup with a lid. Dust the pecans evenly with the sugar mixture. Spread the nuts over the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until toasted and fragrant, stirring every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Cool on pan, and store in an airtight container.

We never had to worry much about the airtight container at our house because the roasted pecans never stayed around long enough to be stored. One thing that I love about roasted pecans also is that they blend so well with other nuts. I take the roasted pecans and mix them with roasted cashews and eat them straight out of the tin. Or even add a bit of praline bit pecans to them for a salty and sweet combination.

Tanners Pecans has several different roasted pecan and nut gift tins. Roasted pecans easily became a holiday family tradition in my household growing up and it’s so easy to see why. Very easy and versatile, they are delicious by themselves as a snack or with other roasted nuts or as an ingredient in recipes.

Speaking of roasted pecans being used as ingredients in recipes, have you ever tasted a pecan spice cake with cream cheese frosting? There are no other words for it but delicious and luscious. It combines several traditional southern tastes: pecans, spices, and cream cheese frosting. So yummy! And can be either served at a family dinner or an elegant party.

CAKE:

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened, plus additional for buttering pans
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3 / 4 cup roasted pecans – finely chopped.
  

FROSTING:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar (from a 1-pound package)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups roasted pecans - finely chopped.
  

PREP: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Beat together butter (1 1/2 sticks) and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Mix in pecans until just combined. Spoon batter evenly into pans, smoothing tops, then rap pans once or twice to expel any air bubbles. Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edge of pans, then invert racks over pans and re-invert cakes onto racks to cool completely. Beat together cream cheese, butter, and zest in a bowl with clean beaters at medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift in confectioners sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, then add lemon juice and beat at medium-high speed until frosting is smooth. Halve each cake layer horizontally with a long serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. Put 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting. Stack remaining cake layers, spreading about 3/4 cup frosting on each layer and ending with top cake layer cut side down. Spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting (about 3 1/2 cups) and coat side of cake with pecans (1 1/3 cups), gently pressing to help them adhere.

Pecan Praline Goodness

Have you ever had a pecan praline? Tasted the rich sweet golden goodness burst with flavor on your tongue? They are truly a decadent treat and sinfully delicious. Pecan Pralines are considered to be a southern delicacy, but did you know they originated in Europe? The French were the first to make pralines using almonds and caramelized sugar instead of the pecans and brown sugar used in the South. The recipe was brought over with the French Settlers and over time became the rich sweet “New Orleans” style pecan praline enjoyed today by so many.

I actually prefer our southern pecan variety since I am a true southern belle. Pecans go in nearly all desserts. Pecan Pralines have a very distinctive flavor and seem to melt in your mouth. There is no other candy quite like it. It’s hard to describe the flavor and texture if you have never had one. It’s just rich sweet buttery creamy pecan goodness. I urge you to try one if you never have.

Pecan Pralines are a very rich sweet mixture of brown sugar, granulated sugar, pecans, cream, and butter. A traditional Pecan Praline recipe is:

• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  

Generously grease a large slab or baking sheet. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, white sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in butter, pecans and vanilla. Heat, without stirring, to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Beat until thickened, then pour immediately onto prepared surface and let rest until firm and completely cool before cutting.

There are several different Pecan Praline recipe variations, but they all seem to have a combination of sugars, butter, cream, and pecans and are actually pretty easy to make. I think the hardest part is waiting for them to cool so you can start eating them.Pecan pralines go well with nearly any occasion or holiday – from baby shower to wedding reception to holiday party to just whenever.

We have customers call from all over the country and sometimes overseas to order them all throughout the year. I have one customer that calls from the UK every year at Christmas to order a box of pecan pralines. He was sent some as a gift one year and fell in love with them. Now they are his “Christmas treat” for himself. Nearly all of our holiday gift baskets at Tanners Pecans include our homemade pecan pralines. Pecan pralines are one of our best sellers – with good reason. I have given our pecan pralines as gifts many times and I even have friends that request them from me.

Also in our Pecan Praline stable is our very own unique praline bit pecans. We take the caramelized goodness of the praline and turn it into our very own sugary sweet glaze and coat our jumbo pecans. Once you taste one you will not want any other candied pecan. I have tried all the different flavors of candied pecans we sell and the praline bits are my favorite. You just can’t beat that rich sweet taste. I have my own variation of a pecan praline glaze that I make to drizzle over pancakes, french toast, even ice cream: 1-1/2 cups dark corn syrup, 1-1/2 cups light corn syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted. In a large bowl, combine corn syrups, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended. Stir in pecans. It gives your breakfast and nice extra kick of flavor.

One year I had a really great idea around Mardi Gras season – you can’t live on the Gulf Coast (Mobile, AL) without celebrating Mardi Gras – I decided to hold a “theme” party. The food was Creole and Southern specialties – gumbo, red beans and rice, beignets, king cake, and of course, pecan pralines. I think the pecan pralines were the first to go. The party and the candy were a huge success, so much that I’ve continued to have my themed Mardi Gras parties. The themes change from year to year, but the pecan pralines continue to stay. They are very addictive and once you had one, you just want more.

For a variation on pralines, I’ve made pecan praline cookies. They are so very good and bring the taste of the pecan praline into a sweet cookie. The cookies are chewy and crisp and are so very delicious. One plus is that they can be frozen after they are iced. That is such a huge time saver if you are making them for the holidays or a party. You can bake them ahead of time so you won’t be so rushed. The cookies are so easy to make and always a big hit with friends and family and I make them every year for my Mardi Gras party and always at holiday time. My favorite praline cookie recipe is:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecans
• coarsely chopped

ICING:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar.
  

Directions: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and chill until dough is easy to handle, about 1 hour. Form into 1-in. balls; place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with fingers; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon pecans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Meanwhile, for icing, combine the brown sugar and cream in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; blend in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let cool before serving. And as said before... if you havn't tried a pecan praline, please do so. Try the cookies and the praline sauce - you will be so glad you did!