Valentine's Day is about love and couples, right?  Well there's no other coupling I love more than chocolate and peanut butter!  I finished my brief exploration of the world of fudge this week with a modified version of Sprinklebakes' Triple Decker Maple Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge recipe, with mine removing the maple syrup from the list of ingredients.  I just have a thing about maple syrup combined with other flavors except breakfast foods.  Anyway, they get a bit messy during the cutting stage, but the flavors are worth the mess!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge


Ingredients:

Crust -

  • 1 cup finely ground pretzels
  • 3 oz good semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten

Peanut Butter Fudge - 

  • 2 - 14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 - 10 oz bags of peanut butter chips (Reese's)

Chocolate Ganache Pretzel Topping - 

  • 1 cup good semisweet chocolate
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • Pretzel sticks

  1. Line a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper, with extra paper overhanging the sides
  2. Heat a saucepan filled 1/3 full with water to a simmer.
  3. Put chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl (e.g. glass) and place on top of the pan of simmering water.
  4. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter melts.
  5. Add the sugar and egg, and cook the mixture until it is very hot and has thickened slightly.
  6. Remove chocolate mixture from the simmering water pot and stir in pretzel crumbs.
  7. Turn off heat to the water pot but leave on the burner.
  8. Press the chocolate pretzel mixture into the parchment prepared pan with buttered hands.
  9. Set aside and prepare the fudge.
  10. Combine the condensed milk and peanut butter chips in a large microwavable bowl (e.g. glass).
  11. Heat in the microwave at 100% power, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth, approximately 3-5 minutes.
  12. Pour mixture over the crust and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
  13. When the fudge is almost chilled start to make the ganache.
  14. Add water to the saucepan to bring it bring it back to 1/3 full, if needed, and heat it to a simmer.
  15. Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl and set over the simmering water.
  16. Stir until melted, smooth, and shiny - about 3 minutes.
  17. Using an offset spatula, pour chocolate on the fudge and spread to even out the top.
  18. Place pretzel sticks on the top in a straight line pattern.
  19. Crush additional pretzels and sprinkle on top.
  20. Refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
  21. Cut and share!