Stolen Tiger Butter Fudge

A Semi-True Family Story

By RenaPublished 2 years ago • 3 min read

Did I ever tell you about the time I stole a fudge recipe from that fancy fudge place in Oregon?

We picked up a little bit, just to say we had. It cost nearly twenty dollars! For this little baggie of fudge!

I thought, I could definitely make that for less than twenty dollars. I could make a whole batch of that for less than twenty dollars.

So, when we got home from the trip, I started a detailed analysis of all the flavors in the fudge. I made a list, and started experimenting.

This was before the internet, mind you. I couldn’t just look it up. I’m sure there are a whole bunch of other people out there who’ve figured this out, but I did it pre-internet!

There was obviously chocolate, and the peanut butter flavor was distinct. After several test batches, and some trial and error with vanilla candy coating, and proportions, I finally managed it. I stole their recipe!

What? That doesn’t count as stealing the recipe?

Well, saying I stole it makes a much better story.

So.

To make this delicious peanut butter chocolate fudge, you only need vanilla candy coating, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter.

It was the short ingredient list that made this recipe so easy to crack!

The first thing you want to do is melt your vanilla candy coating. You can do this on the stove with a double-boiler, or in the microwave. Either way, it helps to break up the candy coating into smaller pieces first.

Once the candy coating is melted, stir in two or three good-sized scoops of peanut butter. No I did not measure anything when I was experimenting with this recipe. I got it right, and this is how I remembered it. It’s two or three scoops of peanut butter, with a regular spoon. The candy coating will turn the color of light peanut butter.

Now you want to start melting your chocolate. The peanut butter candy coating will stay warm and pourable for a while, but the quicker the better, so whether you’re using the microwave or the stove, get your chocolate melting!

My camera focus was off the charts today.

Once the chocolate is melted, pour the peanut butter candy coating into whatever dish you’re using to hold your fudge. This can be a spare pie tin, like I’m using, a baking dish, or even the little cardboard trays that the candy coating comes in.

The most important thing to remember is that it has to have a raised edge. This is not a thick pouring fudge and it will run all over everything.

I speak from experience.

After you pour your candy coating, use a spoon to drop dollops of melted chocolate throughout the fudge.

This may not use all the chocolate, so I recommend having cookies or pretzels on hand to dip in the remaining melted chocolate. Or, you could just eat it, I guess.

This is the part that gives the fudge its characteristic ‘tiger stripe’.

Using a fork, swirl the chocolate through the fudge. You want to push the chocolate through to the bottom and out to the edges, but be careful! It’s easy to mix too much and end up loosing those beautiful tiger butter swirls!

The way I do it, is to mix first, then draw the fork back and forth across the top of the fudge to make sure there are distinctive tiger stripes.

Use the fork to push and mix the chocolate into the fudge.

Since this is a very liquid fudge when it’s warm, it needs a little more time to set. I usually give it 3-4 hours in the fridge to make sure it’s firmly set up before I turn it out of its container to cut it into delectable bite-sized pieces.

Leaving it in the fridge overnight might be even better. I don’t know your fridge, and turning it out too early can be bad.