Okay, this recipe is a bit of a cheat because it is peanut butter fudge that we are dipping in the chocolate. There are easier centers to make, but they usually involve just loading up peanut butter with tons of powdered sugar. I don’t really like the taste that you get from that much powered sugar, so I go with the fudge.
This particular fudge recipe is a good one because it gives you a “fudge base” that can then be flavored. In this case we add the peanut butter and the vanilla after it has completely cooked. After you get the hang of it you could add other nut butters (Almond butter and almond extract make for an awesome fudge!) or even other flavors.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup corn syrup
¼ cup ( ½ stick) butter
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar (dark preferred)
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (accept no substitutions!)
1 lbs. bitter sweet chocolate (I like Ghirardelli)
1 1oz square bitter sweet baking chocolate
Equipment:
1 4 quart sauce pan
1 candy thermometer
1 9” x 13” baking dish
2 sheet pans, lined with parchment paper
1 double boiler
1 electric griddle or fondue pot
or Chocolate Tempering Machine
Method:
For Centers:
Get out your 9” x 13” baking dish and set it aside, in a spot convenient to the stove.
In your 4 quart pot, combine the milk, corn syrup, butter, baking soda, sugar and brown sugar. Place over Medium-High heat and cook, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. When it starts to boil brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Smaller seed crystals mean a finer texture to the fudge.
Clip on your candy thermometer and cook, stirring constantly until the temperature reaches 234 degrees (if you are above 1,000 feet in elevation, test what temperature water boils at before you start this whole process, then subtract that number from 212. Where I lived in Denver at 5280 feet, water boils at 200 degrees).
Remove from the heat and then the hot candy (carefully!) into the baking dish. Do not scrap out the pan, just pour in what will come out easily.
Set aside to cool at room temperature. When the bottom of the baking dish feels warm but not hot (about 15 to 20 minutes), it is time to add the peanut butter and vanilla. Just glob them in and using a wood spoon stir them in until the peanut butter is completely absorbed and the fudge becomes thicker and loses some of its gloss.
Now, if you were just after fudge, you could spread it out about an inch thick on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and then cut into cubes when it sets, but that is not what we’re after is it?
Just let the candy, uncovered, in the pan for another hour so it is complete set.
When the fudge is set, it is time to make it into ball. I like to use a teaspoon and dig out a heaping teaspoon for each center. You can make them bigger but resist the urge to make them huge as they will over power the chocolate and you won’t get the full affect of this candy.
Roll each teaspoon between your palms to make a ball. Set them on the sheet pan. You should get 50-60 centers.
Set up your dipping station with the centers on the opposite side of your dominate hand (your going to use that for dipping), I am a lefty so the landing place is on my left, and the candy’s are on the right, then the fondue pot or electric frying pan or small sheet pan. Finally set a parchment covered sheet pan as the landing space for the dipped chocolates.
continued at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/01/1041573/-Sunday-Bread-Candy-Series-Chocolate-Dipped-Peanut-Butter-Fudge
