PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

5 c. sugar
1 12 oz. evaporated milk
4 T. unsalted butter, divided (* sometimes I just put whole stick in at beginning and don't divide/add later)
(7-oz.) jet-puffed marshmallow creme
18 oz. crunchy peanut butter (They have downsized Peanut butter to 16 oz. so just eyeball 2 more ounces)
2 T. creamy peanut butter

Grease an 8 x 8 and 9 x 13 pan. Put sugar, milk and 4 T. butter into a pan. Stir until combined, and sugar has dissolved. Boil sugar, milk, and butter over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the soft ball stage. ( That means get a coffee cup of ice water and at 7 minutes drizzle hot syrup into the mug. If it forms a nice soft ball, it's done!) Remove from heat, add peanut butter,marshmallow, and  4 T. butter. Stir until blended. Pour into pans and cool.

Note: I have never made this fudge and it didn't turn out. It's really reliable recipe. You don't have to check the weather before you cook! Those recipes scare me. It makes a lot. Makes an 8 x 8 and a 9 x 13. Freezes well. This is a modified version of Verna Woeber's recipe. Verna is a family friend of my parents. 

BLACKBERRY JAM CAKE & CARAMEL ECONOMY FROSTING

BLACKBERRY JAM CAKE
(Serve with Caramel Economy Frosting)

Cream:
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 
2 c. light brown packed sugar
4 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. heaping baking soda
1 c. chopped black walnuts (or English)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. raisins
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. blackberry jam

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large tube pan that holds 10 cups. (A standard bundt is too small!) Cream together butter, sugar, then add eggs. Set aside. Sift together all dry ingredients (including spices). Mix together the dry ingredients, alternating with 1 cup of buttermilk, into the creamed ingredients and mix well. Fold in blackberry jam. (I take a cup of the mixture and hand mix the blackberry jam into it) You want to avoid "clumps" of jam as they will fall to the bottom of the pan and make uneven baking. Fold in nuts and raisins. Bake in a tube pan (I put it on a cookie sheet) for 65-70 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost with caramel economy frosting.
Note: This was a cake my grandmother, Ada, made for each of her children at Christmas.
Freeze in slices, freezes very well.


CARAMEL ECONOMY
FROSTING
(For the Blackberry Jam Cake)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. butter, unsalted
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1 T. white Karo syrup
Boil sugar, milk and Karo to a soft ball stage (like fudge). Cool slightly. Then add butter and vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread. Add warm water droplets to thin out if it gets too thick to spread. Top with candied cherries or nuts if you wish.

Aunt Olive's Christmas Fudge (Page 85)

2 1/2 c. sugar                               
1/2 c. sour cream                           
1/4 c. whole milk                           
1 T. corn syrup                                
1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. unsalted butter
1 c. walnuts (or pecans)       
1/3 c. green candied cherries, chopped
1/3 c. red candied cherries, chopped

 Note: You use the cherries that you see out around the holidays, usually near the
produce area. I thought they would have a fancy name, but the container simply says
"red cherries", NOT maraschino cherry! Some people call these "candied cherries".

Line a 8 x 8 pan with quick release foil, leaving some overhang on the sides, for removal. Mix the first 5 ingredients and stir over medium heat until it boils. Stir no more. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add vanilla, butter, nuts, and both cherries. Beat until no longer "glossy". Pour into pans. The fudge will whiten slightly as it cools.

This makes an adorable "Christmas" fudge.

Here it is after it has cooled. It is less translucent: