Grandma Wendy's Fudge

For years I have held this recipe close. I showed my kids how to make it, let them help me, but I didn't write it down for them or encourage them to master it.

And today I asked myself, "What the heck is WRONG with you?"

My mother never intended this to be a secret. I'm sure it isn't an original recipe. (I think it's a Hershey's recipe from maybe the 30s. Or 50s.) I do in fact enjoy my status as maker of excellent fudge, but maybe I'm feeling my age (in my knees, principally) today. So in recognition of my own mortality, I am sharing Wendy's Fudge.

This isn't a straight-forward-any-idiot-can-make-it recipe. You can follow the directions and it will taste fine, but it probably won't set up right. It will either NEVER become solid (so you'll end up with a delicious ice-cream sauce), or it will set before you can get the peanut butter stirred in (and it will be hard and grainy as well).

But. You do not have to be a candy-savant to make it, either. A little information about candy-making in general, and a commitment to be single-minded in the making of this fudge, and you should be able to produce a reasonably delicious product.

A Word about Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, and there aren't that many of them. But you should be aware that not all sugar is equal. And for candy-making (and for creme brulee, too, for that matter), it is NECESSARY to have cane sugar. Do not use sugar from beets. (There is a minuscule difference in the chemical composition between the two, and that difference is the make-or-break of candy-making.) (On a side note, there is not currently any laws requiring producers to label the source of their sugar, but for purposes of purchasing, the rule is that if it doesn't SAY "cane," it probably isn't. Store brands which are not marked are most likely beet, so for the purpose of making candy, pony up and buy the national brand.) Sugar made from beets tends to burn at higher temperatures, rather than caramelize.

I have used non-Hershey cocoa powder with good results, so I don't believe that the name-brands are required here. If you have had bad luck with a certain brand, by all means, go with your heart and avoid it. I have used whole milk, 2%, and 1%, all with good results, and have used reconstituted evaporated milk as well (NOT to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which would be a completely different recipe). If you use something besides table salt, be aware that measurements differ, and adjust accordingly. I use creamy store-brand peanut butter, not the natural or organic styles, nor do I use crunchy. It might confuse the issue at the end, when you're beating it to get it to set. But you could try it. In recent years I've turned into a little bit of a vanilla snob, so I don't buy imitation V anymore, but I did for ages and it works just as well.

Equipment
a 4-quart saucepan (anything smaller risks overflow during cooking)
a sturdy spoon with a comfortable grip
an accurate thermometer (you can test the accuracy of your thermometer by measuring boiling water, which is 212 degrees F) (If you don't have a thermometer for candy-making, you can approximate the correct cooking temperature by using the soft-ball test)
a saucer for soft-ball testing (optional)
a large pan or basin (for water or ice, to cool the candy more quickly) (you CAN do this in the sink, but you MUST be careful not to get water into the syrup)
waxed paper or parchment paper
a cake pan or brownie pan (to contain it while it sets)

Sursum ad summum, then.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups granulated cane sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter (my mom said "3 globs" or "3 forkfuls", so I'm estimating)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure:

1. Line the brownie pan with waxed or parchment paper and set aside. 
2. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
3. Stir in the milk, and cook over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue to cook until the boiling level drops about an inch from its highest level.
4. As the level nears this point, start testing the temperature. The syrup needs to be between 235 and 245 degrees F. From personal experience, I can tell you that it works better for all involved if you aim for the lower end of the range. (Alternately, you can use the soft-ball test by dropping a small amount of the boiling syrup into a saucer of cold water. Push the syrup together with your fingers and try to pick it up. The candy is the right temperature when the syrup can be pinched into a soft ball and picked up from the water. It holds together but is still squishy. If you need to repeat the test, get fresh water. Be very careful not to get water into the syrup.) 
5. Remove the pan from the heat and set it in a shallow pan of cold water or ice, once again being careful not to get water into the syrup. Add the peanut butter and the vanilla now.
6. When the pan is cool enough to handle, remove it from the water and dry the bottom, and using your sturdy spoon, start beating the fudge. You want to mix the peanut butter and vanilla in, and to start beating air in. If you've overcooked it, the fudge will set immediately, and will be hard and grainy. If you haven't cooked it enough, it will never set completely. On days of high humidity, the window between too much and not enough is even narrower. The longer you beat it, the smoother it will be. Beat the fudge until it loses its glossy appearance, and the trail of the spoon through the mix holds its shape and doesn't disappear. If you want to add nuts, this is the place to do it, but you have to be quick.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out a little if possible. Let it cool. (You do not need to refrigerate it.) Lick the spoon and scrape out the pan while waiting for it to set. 

Notes: 

• I have, on occasion, tried beating it with an electric mixer. If the humidity is high and the fudge does not want to set, this can help you get it to a more solid state, though it may never set completely and might need to be refrigerated. 
• My mother spoke of listening to the syrup while it cooked, and being able to hear a change in its pitch when it was ready. In 45 years of observing and making this candy, I have heard it change pitch twice. I believe this is because I am unaccustomed to listening to the tone of something not overtly musical, so I have a harder time. Also, there's a lot of noise in the kitchen in the winter. 
• The pan I use and have always used is a Revere Ware copper-bottom 4 quart stainless steel saucepan. I do not recommend making this in an iron pot, simply because it would be very difficult to cool down quickly.