Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

My Mom made this growing up and she got this recipe from my Aunt Nana!  It's ohhhhh so easy, all you do is melt the butter and peanut butter then pour it over the cocoa,  powder sugar and vanilla! After that you stir until combined, pat it down in a pan place it in the fridge or freezer until it sets!

Seriously so easy! 

The original recipe didn't call for you to melt the butter and peanut butter but one day I found the recipe online when looking for another recipe.  It called for the same exact ingredients but called for the butter and peanut butter to be melted.  The recipe I used before had you use softened butter and then peanut butter, they both work but I do prefer the melted method.

This fudge is so creamy and has just the right balance of peanut butter and chocolate!


Here is what you will need, I had a 1/2 jar and a whole jar so that is why you see 2 jars of peanut butter.  It only takes 1 cup for a single batch!


melt butter in a heavy pan


add peanut butter to the melted butter


after peanut butter melts let it cool for about 10 minutes


pour butter- peanut butter mixture over dry ingredients once it has cool


stir until incorporated





I made a double batch...I used different sizes because I wanted them to be thicker, normally you would use the size on the right for a single batch. 



Peanut Butter Fudge




Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe Creamy Fudge


Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter

1 pound powdered sugar (3 ¾ cup)
4  T cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla


Directions:
1. Line a 9" square pan with wax paper.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat, add the peanut butter and stir well making sure to fully blend. Remove from heat and cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix the powdered sugar, cocoa and the vanilla.
4.  When the peanut butter/butter mixture is cooled, add it to the powdered sugar and mix thoroughly until smooth.
5.  Pour the mixture into the square pan. Cover with waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour or in freezer for about 15 minutes.

Italian Cream Cake

This has been a Drennan family favorite for years!  I can't believe I haven't put this on the blog yet.  I make this pretty often throughout the year.  I have several friends who ask me to make it for their birthday especially my friend Joy.

My Mom made this many many times growing up it’s so moist and just a really good cake.

This cake has coconut and pecans in the cake with a cream cheese icing.  I add coconut on top and a few chopped pecans. 

The only thing that is different about this cake then most is you add the egg yolks to the main mixture then you whip the egg whites separately and fold them into the main batter at the end.  

If you do not have buttermilk you can use 1 cup of milk and add about a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and watch it curdle in front of your eyes. Takes about 3-5 minutes for it to curdle.

I always make a 3 layer cake but I also make cupcakes! 








Cream together butter and sugar


add egg yolk and mix well


add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately then add pecans and coconut


whip your egg whites until they form a peak


this is what they should look like


fold in egg whites to cake mixture by using a spatula


evenly pour into 3 cake pans that have been greased and floured and bake


I ice the cake between the layers and then I ice the sides and top

Ice with the cream cheese icing recipe below and if you like top with coconut and pecans

I ran out of coconut but I would normally top with coconut and chopped pecans 





Italian Cream Cake


1 stick of butter
½ cup of Crisco
2 cups of sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups of flour
1 tsp soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 small can of coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
5 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease (shortening) and flour 3 9” round pans

Cream butter & shortening add egg yolks and sugar.
Add flour & soda alternately with buttermilk add vanilla, coconut
And pecans.

Whip egg whites until stiff then fold in to mixture above by hand.

Pour into 3 pans using equal parts

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz cream cheese softened
2 sticks of butter softened
Powder sugar about 2/3’ of a bag
1 tsp vanilla
Chopped pecans

Cream together softened cream cheese and butter then add powder sugar
A little at a time then add vanilla.

You can add 2 T of milk if it’s too thick.

After cake is completely cooled ice cake and then add coconut to top and
Sides and a few pecans (chopped) on top if you would like.