Easy Peanut Butter Cup Fudge with Salted Bourbon Sugar
Fudge just got even better. You cant go wrong with the classic peanut butter and chocolate combo, plus theres a little booze involved. Cut small squares because these treats are rich. You can always go back for seconds!
Fudge just got even better. You cant go wrong with the classic peanut butter and chocolate combo, plus theres a little booze involved. Cut small squares because these treats are rich. You can always go back for seconds!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup coarse sugar (such as demerara sugar or turbinado)
- 1 vanilla bean seeds removes
- 2 tablespoon bourbon
- flaky sea salt to your taste (i just used a pinch)
- 1 1/2 cups cold peanut butter cups chopped
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 5 ounces milk chocolate chopped
- 1 can (15 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
- Carbohydrate 25.7642609967621 g
- Cholesterol 4.6063719728125 mg
- Fat 9.70026453649792 g
- Fiber 1.55623219217181 g
- Protein 1.60956388925938 g
- Saturated Fat 5.8456810639101 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (43g)
- Sodium 10.1094158377644 mg
- Sugar 24.2080288045903 g
- Trans Fat 0.545472812841105 g
- Calories 192 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper.
- To the baking sheet, add the sugar, vanilla bean and bourbon. Toss well to combine and moisten the sugar. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing the sugar twice throughout cooking. The sugar is done when it feels dry to the touch and has a golden, caramel hue to it. It is OK if some of the sugar clumps together, but you don't want any giant clumps, break those up while the sugar is still warm. Mix in a pinch of salt. Let cool completely before storing. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Chop you peanut butter cups into chunks and then place in a bowl in the freezer.
- Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the semi sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, condensed milk and cream over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon, vanilla, salt and peanut butter cups. Mixture will be thick, but stir slowly until combined being careful not to break the peanut butter cups up too much.
- Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the bourbon sugar. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.
- Cut with sharp knife into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
Pairing with Bitter Elements
How does heavy chocolate candy survive intense sweetness without flattening the palate? Strong espresso or black drip coffee cuts through the dense dairy fats present in sweetened condensed milk. Bitterness counterbalances the high sugar content found in both the fudge base and the toasted demerara topping. Pour dark roast coffee alongside chilled squares to reset the tongue between bites.Balancing the Bourbon Sugar
Baking coarse sugar at 300 degrees F with vanilla beans and bourbon drives off excess moisture while caramelizing the exterior. Toss the baking sheet twice during the 45-minute to one-hour window to ensure uniform drying. Break up any large clumps manually while the crystals remain warm before storing the mixture in an airtight container for up to two months.Proportional Yield Management
Scaling confections containing chocolate and condensed milk requires maintaining exact ratios to achieve a proper set. Halving the batch into a smaller pan alters cooling rates, so stick to the specified eight-inch square pan for reliable results. Chill the chopped peanut butter cups in the freezer beforehand to prevent them from melting entirely into the hot chocolate base.
