Tomorrow is National Peanut Butter Fudge Day!

Since Wednesdays - Hump Day - can be a day which is difficult to start and may feel like a long day, I'm very happy to let you know tomorrow is, National Peanut Butter Fudge Day! Sounds like it will be a very sweet day indeed!

As I looked up the info on this sweet day, I found;

"The origins of Fudge Day are unknown, but it cannot be denied celebrating this delicious, sweet treat is a great way to spend the day. Fudge is a soft, smooth confectionary made by heating and mixing milk, butter, and sugar. A variety of other ingredients can then be added to create assorted flavors of fudge. Some of the most popular flavors include chocolate and peanut butter - which is why we have a National Peanut Butter Fudge Day. (These are my two favorite flavors of fudge for sure!)"

I thought it might be fun to share with you some, "fudge facts"! Did you know . . . 

• The earliest documented mention of fudge can be found in a letter composed by Emelyn Hartridge, who was studying at Vassar College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The letter detailed how fudge had been made and sold in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1886.
• Other fudge recipes in the USA can be traced back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 
• Mackinac Island fudge ice cream (vanilla ice cream blended with small chunks of fudge) is still sold on Mackinac Island in Michigan, and surrounding areas, where shops have been selling fudge to summer vacationers since the late nineteenth century. 
• Before refrigeration, homemakers would make fudge as a way of storing extra sugar, molasses, and maple syrup
• Airtight packages of fudge can be frozen and stored for up to a year without losing any flavors. To defrost, leave wrapped package of fudge out until it is room temperature all the way through. If it is unwrapped before room temperature, the top will become soft and sticky from absorbing moisture in the air.
• The widely held belief about fudge is it was ‘invented’ when a European pastry chef’s preparation of a batch of caramel went awry, eliciting the exclamation of the euphemism, “Oh, fudge!”
• 1976 - Jimmy Carter is elected President of the U.S., the second peanut-farmer president in history after Thomas Jefferson.
• Peanuts have the most protein of any nut — seven grams per serving — to provide long-lasting healthy energy.
• Containing over 30 essential vitamins and nutrients, peanuts are a superfood.

So . . . what could possibly be a better thing to do on, "National Peanut Butter Fudge Day", than to make a batch of your own tasty fudge? Try this simple recipe . . .

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla (add chocolate chips and stir until melted). Pour over powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares and enjoy!

National Peanut Butter Fudge Day is the perfect excuse to enjoy some of this tasty treat! Have your grandchildren help you make . . . and eat it! Make extra to share with the neighbors so everyone can celebrate . . . and enjoy National Peanut Butter Fudge Day! 

What is your favorite flavor of fudge?