Oh Fudge

Among the many popular misconceptions about vegans - we're all anemic, we don't get enough protein, we'll defriend you on Facebook if you eat a burger in our presence - my favorite is the idea that vegans are all health nuts who subsist on quinoa salads and raw kale. Not so! And as proof, I offer you Exhibit A: Peanut Butter Fudge.

Ohhh this fudge. I can't remember the last time I made something so rich and decadent. I can normally put away sweets like nobody's business, but even I couldn't handle more than a single square at a time. The coconut cream is the key here - it'll make your fudge super smooth and thick, and has the added bonus of smelling incredible when you melt it together with the chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. 

This recipe is a little bit time-consuming, but really easy - all you need is a heavy saucepan, a bowl, and some patience! If peanut butter isn't your thing, try adding chopped nuts to your fudge, or maybe even subbing out the vanilla with strong coffee for a hint of espresso flavor. 

Peanut Butter Fudge

(chocolate fudge adapted from Cassidy's Cravable Creations; peanut butter topping adapted from Minimalist Baker)

Makes one 8x8 pan

For the chocolate fudge:

½ cup coconut cream (to make this, stick a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for at least an hour)

¼ cup maple syrup

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoon coconut oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 ¼ teaspoon salt

For the peanut butter topping:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (the natural kind is best!)

 ¼ cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons  coconut oil

½  cup coconut cream

¼ tablespoons maple syrup

Line an 8x8 pan with aluminum foil and set aside. This is my favorite part: crack open your can of cold coconut milk and you'll see that it's surprisingly solid. That's the cream! Carefully scoop it off - don't get too rowdy or you'll end up breaking through to the liquid on the bottom, which we don't need for this recipe. 

Dump all of the ingredients for the chocolate fudge into a heavy saucepan over low heat and slowwwwwly melt everything together, stirring all the while. I'm usually all for turning that flame up to speed things along (perhaps why I set off the fire alarm so often), but be patient here or you'll end up burnt chocolate and that's just a damn shame. 

Just look at that silky deliciousness

When the mixture is smooth and silky and delicious, pour it into the prepared pan and pop it into your freezer for an hour. While you wait for the chocolate to set, you can get started on the peanut butter half of this beautiful relationship!

Taste test liberally

You don't even need a pot for this step - just scoop all the ingredients for the peanut butter topping into a bowl and stir it up really well. Work those forearms! This mixture will be a lot thicker than the chocolatey mess, but you should still be able to easily pour it over the frozen fudge. 

A match made in heaven 

Now pop that all back into the freezer for another hour and dance around in anticipation for the magical dessert you're about to eat. Once the peanut butter topping has set, slice your fudge into 1-inch squares and enjoy! Store your leftovers in the fridge to keep them from getting too gooey, but I recommend serving at room temperature to get that soft, fudgy texture that we all know and love.