Equipment Needed
- 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon
- Spatula
- Small heatproof bowl (for melting)
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, let’s set ourselves up for success. Line your 8×8 pan with parchment paper, letting some hang over the sides. This is your “fudge lifter” for later—trust me, trying to dig solid fudge out of an unlined pan is a battle you don’t want to fight. Next, we’ll tackle the chocolate layer. In your medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible, combine the 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of butter. Stir constantly and patiently until it’s just melted and smooth. I’ve rushed this by cranking the heat, and it only leads to seized, grainy chocolate. Once it’s a velvety pool, take it off the heat and stir in that first teaspoon of vanilla. Pour this glorious mixture into your prepared pan and set it aside. Don’t clean that saucepan yet!
Now, for the heart of the buckeye: the peanut butter layer. In your large mixing bowl, combine the creamy peanut butter, the 1/4 cup of softened butter, the second teaspoon of vanilla, and that pinch of salt. Using a hand mixer or a ton of elbow grease with a wooden spoon, beat this until it’s completely smooth and creamy. It will look and smell amazing already. Here’s where we build the structure: gradually add the 2 cups of powdered sugar. It will get thick and crumbly at first, but keep mixing. I then add the additional powdered sugar, starting with 1/2 cup, until the mixture is very thick, almost like a dense, moldable dough. This is key for creating distinct swirls that won’t sink.
This next step is my favorite part—the marbling. Take dollops of your thick peanut butter mixture and place them all over the surface of the still-wet chocolate layer in your pan. Don’t worry about being neat! Using a knife or a skewer, gently swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate. Don’t over-mix; you want beautiful ribbons and pockets, not a homogenous mud color. I like to make big, lazy figure-eights. This is where the magic happens and it starts to look just like the candy buckeye.
Finally, the hardest part: the wait. Carefully place the pan in the refrigerator. You need to let it chill for at least 4 hours, but I strongly recommend leaving it overnight. I’ve tried cutting into it after just two hours, and while it’s set, it’s much softer and doesn’t give those clean, sharp squares. The long, slow chill is what gives you that perfect, firm-yet-creamy fudge texture. Once it’s fully set, use the parchment paper to lift the whole slab onto a cutting board and slice it into squares.(See the next page below to continue…)