November 20th is National Peanut Butter Fudge Day and I don’t know about you but I like Peanut Butter #PeanutButterFudgeDay. I like Fudge just not together. How about you. Would you like to have Peanut Butter Fudge today? If so I have the Milk and I will have a fold over Peanut Butter Sandwich and we can chat a while.
National Peanut Butter Fudge Day falls on November 20th which is when people try there hands at making a batch of peanut butter fudge. There is a wide range of viable peanut butter fudge recipes to be found on the internet and elsewhere, but what they all have in common is a quick prep time (a matter of minutes, in some cases), and a short list of simple ingredients that most of us probably already have in our kitchens.
As a bonus, peanut butter fudge is much easier to make than chocolate fudge, because it doesn’t involve melting the chocolate to a specific temperature measured by a special thermometer. Which I don’t have and would mean a trip to the Store. How about you?
Fudge itself has been around since the 1880s. The widely held belief is that fudge was ‘invented’ when a European pastry Chef’s preparation of a batch of Caramel went awry, eliciting the exclamation of the euphemism, “Oh, fudge!”
The name stuck. Some versions of the story even have the sticky batch being spilled on the floor and picked back up to minimize waste. What the fudge? In any case, peanut butter fudge is a favorite flavor for many, and the week before Thanksgiving is the perfect time to whip up a batch of Peanut Butter Fudge.
Some of the first late-19th-Century print references to fudge are advertisements for fudge shops in popular tourist destinations including Michigan’s Mackinac Island. Recipes also began to appear in periodicals and Cookbooks around that time.
Strangely enough, fudge-making was especially popular at that time on the campuses of women’s colleges like Smith and Vassar. One source details how the New York newspaper “The Sun” published a recipe called ‘Fudges at Vassar’ in 1895.
With fudge’s popularity and availability on the rise from then on, it was only a matter of time before the American peanut got involved in the game as a fudge flavor. There’s no denying our love affair with peanuts and peanut butter considering that over 75% of modern American households contain a jar or more of peanut butter, and that an American child on average eats over 1,000 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate high school.
Or will we? The exact first instance of peanut butter being used in a fudge batch is unknown, but it was only a natural progression, and we won’t complain about having enjoyed the confection for so long! Or will we?
It was the National Peanut Board that first established November 20th as National Peanut Butter Fudge Day. The organization’s chairman, Bob White, said in 2015, “I’m not certain anyone knows for sure why Americans have named so many days or months for U.S.A.-grown peanuts and peanut butter. But it doesn’t surprise me that America’s favorite nut is top of mind all year long.” We can’t help but agree.
How To Celebrate National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
- There’s no denying that baking can be a lot of fun, especially using a recipe that’s as simple as many peanut butter fudge recipes are. Set aside a couple of hours, invite a friend or two, and make a few pans to enjoy now and later.
- here’s a reason that peanut butter fudge is featured in so many gift shops all over the Country: it makes a thoughtful and tasty present or souvenir that may even win over someone who’s on the fence about you. Have the gift box wrapped up nicely, and look for those smiles upon your friend or family member’s discovery of what’s inside.
- Take plenty of pictures of your baking or gift-giving experience and share them on all of your Social platforms online to enhance the fun of National Peanut Butter Fudge Day. Use the hashtags #PeanutButterFudgeDay and #NationalPeanutButterFudgeDay.
Amazing Facts About Peanuts
- Did you know Peanuts have the most protein of any nut? Which is seven grams per serving to provide long-lasting healthy energy.
- It takes 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter. That’s a whole lot of Peanuts isn’t ?
- Americans spend about 800 million dollars a year on peanut butter. Are you one of those people because I am.
- Containing over 30 essential vitamins and nutrients, peanuts are a superfood.
- The idiom, “working for peanuts” was coined by Harry Mozley Stevens in 1895, the year the company Cavanaros paid for ad space in New York Giants game programs with peanuts, which Stevens and other stadium staff then resold to fans during games.
Why People Love National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
If you live in a sizable town, like I live in then there is a chance that on November 20th, you can find a peanut-butter fudge baking contest or other promotion where you’ll be able to try multiple batches of Fudge from different Chefs.
All history and interesting factoids aside, we simply love the sweet flavor and creamy texture of peanut butter fudge. It’s fun to find someone among your peer group who’s never tasted it, and see their eyes light up. Just be careful of your friends’ possible peanut allergies.
Though the peanut plant has its origins in South America, it was the United States that created a program around the turn of the 20th Century to encourage the production and consumption of peanuts, helping the legume graduate from backyard gardens to major farms like Jimmy Carter’s.
Prep Time:
15 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Additional Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins Servings: 32 Yield: 1 (8×8-inch) pan
½ cup butter
1 (16 ounce) package brown sugar
½ cup milk
¾ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove the pot from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Place confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour in peanut butter mixture and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour peanut butter mixture into an 8×8-inch dish.
Chill until firm before slicing, about 1 hour.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
