Sand, Sea, Sun and Fudge

After spending a week at the New Jersey Shore getting tanned and sandy, I had an opportunity to buy two of my favorite foods, okay, treats;  Saltwater taffy and fudge.  YUM. It was a wonderful hiatus from all the work I've been doing on my book.

The shore's saltwater taffy tastes better than I remember. And the fudge reminded me of my mom's peanut butter fudge that she made when I was a kid.  So I called her up, asked for her recipe, and got down to business creating fudge.  Now I have a full pound of fudge in my house and only I am eating it. My love for peanut butter fudge has not yet trickled down to my kids, and hubby is not a sweets eater.  I'm sure I'll manage somehow.

So now I will share with you the fudge recipe that is my food-bliss.  It's not difficult to make, but it does require a candy thermometer.

Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups of white sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup milk

dash of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup of smooth or crunchy peanut butter (I prefer smooth)

Mix sugar, syrup, milk and salt in a heavy pot, stirring constantly bring to a boil and cover for 1 minute. Uncover the pot and cook without stirring until the candy thermometer reaches 236 degrees. (I guesstimated by looking at the thermometer, I need to get an instant read).  Remove from heat, add butter.  Let cool until mixture reaches 110 degrees, add vanilla and peanut butter.  Beat by hand until it loses its gloss.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.  Refrigerate.  Cut in 1 inch squares. Enjoy!

Has anyone attempted to make saltwater taffy?  I'm super curious about how much work it really involves.