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1
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water or the top of a double boiler.
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2
Make sure you don't get even a drop of water in the chocolate.
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3
Stir frequently with a spatula while doing the following steps and remove it from the hot water just as soon as it's melted.
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4
Melt the butter.
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5
Mix together the powdered sugar, the melted butter and the vanilla.
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6
Don't bother sifting the powdered sugar.
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7
Just stir everything together with a wooden spoon until it's smooth and creamy.
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8
Stir in the peanut butter.
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9
This will break most flimsy wooden spoons if you're not careful.
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10
Mushing everything together with your hands works well and is lots of fun.
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11
Press the fudge into a buttered 8 or 9 square pan.
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12
You don't need much butter, just wipe the butter papers over the inside of the pan.
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13
You can also line the pan with foil and butter that; this works especially well if you're making several batches in a row to give to people as holiday presents.
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14
Press the fudge in firmly; you don't want any air bubbles in it.
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15
You will get your hands messy here.
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16
Pour the chocolate over the fudge and spread it in an even layer.
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17
The easiest way to do this is to shake the pan gently until the chocolate is even.
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18
Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
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19
DO NOT PUT IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
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20
Using a sharp knife cut the fudge into 1 inch squares.
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21
If you defied my instructions and put it in the refrigerator, the chocolate layer will shatter when you try to cut it.
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22
Unless you are going to serve it immediately, store it in the refrigerator.
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23
Let it come to room temperature before serving.
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24
Notes: An extremely rich candy.
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25
The results resemble Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that have attained Nirvana.
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26
Don't scrimp on the peanut butter; get the best you can find or make it yourself.
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27
If there's anything besides peanuts and salt in it, find another brand.
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28
Unless you use the foil method, you will inevitably destroy at least one piece getting it out of the pan.
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29
The best method is to line the pan with foil, let the fudge cool, lift it out, peel off the foil, put it back in the pan and cut it.
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30
This keeps it from sticking to the pan.
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31
If you try to cut it out of the pan, it tends to fall apart.
