too hot to bake?

 I know that I've said it before, but peanut butter is one of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with. From delicious thai peanut noodles, to peanut butter cookies, peanut butter is such a diverse ingredient that can go so far in so many ways (clearly, when you check out my past recipes). Not only is it delicious, but it can pair with sweet or savory, and really adds great flavor to your dishes. If you don't like the strong flavor of peanut butter (or just love nuts and want to expand your palate), try experimenting with almond butter, which has a bit milder taste. In fact, at most of your local health food stores or Whole Foods, you can grind your own nut butters from a variety of different nuts which is fun and delicious.

As most of you know, this summer has been so incredibly hot. Heat waves are breaking records every week, and let me tell you, in my small New York apartment, the heat is not going unnoticed. While for the most part, the heat is bearable, when it gets up into the high 90's and even 100 degrees, my little apartment just doesn't know what to do with itself (and neither do it). Though sitting in front of my window ac unit is the ideal past time, I still want to be able to cook in the warm summer months. I love that so many fresh veggies are in season this time of year, making delicious summer salads a must have in the warm summer months, but what about desserts? I absolutely LOVE baking, but let's be honest, baking is much more a winter activity than a favorite summer past time. With the oven cranked up to 400 degrees, standing in front of it can be somewhat painful. So, I'm always looking for delicious desserts I can make without using the oven.

Last week was my friend at work's birthday, and of course I had to bake something delicious for her. Her favorite food in the ENTIRE world is peanut butter. She eats it every day, and so I knew I had to make something with peanut butter for her. I searched online for inspiration for no-bake recipes that I could make with peanut butter, and stumbled upon a great recipe from the Food Network. With a few tweaks of my own, this recipe ended up being incredibly delicious. It was the perfect no-bake treat for my friend's birthday!


peanut butter fudge

8 oz unsalted butter
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp sea salt

mixing the fudge

 In a pan over low heat, melt the peanut butter and butter, stirring as they melt so the butters do not burn
Once completely combined and liquefied, add in the vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing by hand with a spoon (the fudge will become harder to stir- this is when it is ready!)
Pour the fudge into an 8x8 inch pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and lined with parchment paper
 Cover the top of the fudge with excess parchment paper and cool the fudge in the fridge for at least 2 hours (if you cool it overnight, be sure to give it at least 1-2 hours to come to room temperature before serving)
Cut into 1 inch pieces and enjoy!!

yum.