Newspaper Food Section Wednesday
Today, we're visiting the pages of the St. Petersburg Times.
My grandparents lived in St. Petersburg and we would always visit them on our trek down south for the winters. (Golfing snowbirds, we)I have fond memories of climbing up in their grapefruit trees, wandering miles and miles of beach (which was a wonder for a young lass from New England). And then of course, the hot and humid Christmases with fake plastic Christmas trees. I always got a kick out of the city being known as "Wrinkle City" to truckers in the 1970's. I guess alot of other people's grandparents lived down there, too.There's nothing like crossing the Tamiami Trail via car. We would spot on occassion a stray gator or two wandering across the road and miles and miles of flat nothing with an occassional Brahma herd. Although I am sure that a lot of the landscape has changed since the late 60's early 70's. We would always keep a heads up for my mom's favorite stop, STUCKEYS! When people say "the South", Stuckey's Pecan Rolls always leap to my mind.
Back to food.....Someone wrote in to the paper asking for a fudge without chocolate. The readers responded by sending in quite a selection...with some unusual ingredients.
From: Madeleine O'Brien of Dunellon
Recipe: Blue Ribbon Peanut Butter Fudge
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 pound peanut butter
2 sticks butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup graham-cracker crumbs
Mix sugar with graham-cracker crumbs. Add peanut butter. Melt butter and add along with vanilla. Put fudge in 9- by 13-inch pan. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares.
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From: Judy Collins of Tampa
Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge
1 stick butter
1 pound light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound confectioner's sugar
In a medium saucepan melt butter, stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Mix in confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. Spread into a buttered 9-inch square pan. Chill until firm. Cut into squares.
Makes 3 1/2 pounds.
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From: Annette Hall of Dearborn, Mich., and Safety Harbor, Lucille Frechette of Seminole, and Doris Miller of St. Petersburg
Recipe: Peanut Butter Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12-ounce package peanut butter chips
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely chopped salted peanuts
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a rolling boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter chips; stir until chips melt and mixture is smooth. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla extract; beat until well-blended. Pour into foil-lined 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with peanuts and press them into fudge. Chill until firm.
Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.
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From: Nancy Csont of St. Petersburg and Boneta Williams of New Port Richey
Recipe: Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge
1 16-ounce box confectioner's sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup peanut butter
Put sugar in a microwave safe bowl and make a well in the center. Place salt, milk and butter in the well. Microwave for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir vigorously until smooth. If it's lumpy, microwave for 45 more seconds. Time will depend on your microwave. Beat until smooth and add peanut butter. Mix and pour into a buttered 8-inch dish. It sets up quickly. Let cool and cut into pieces.
