Southern In Law: Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

I have always been a chocolate girl. In fact, growing up I thought my Pa (grandpa) was the weirdest person on the whole entire planet because he didn't eat chocolate. No chocolate, no chocolate cake, no chocolate anything.

Whilst Christmas cookies are delicious and spiced recipes are a nice change, I will still always prefer chocolate to any kind of treat. This year, instead of spending hours rolling chocolate truffles or crunching candy canes to make chocolate bark; I decided to make fudge.

And ohhh what a fudge recipe this is, my friends! Combining chocolate and peanut butter in a creamy three ingredient fudge that's also gluten free, low fat, lower sugar and clean eating friendly? That's a Christmas miracle to me! ;)

Best of all, this recipe can even be vegan and/or dairy free to suit just about everyone (except the chocolate haters, of course) - so it's perfect for sharing any time of the year. It's delicious enough to give as a homemade Christmas gift but versatile enough to work all year round.

So let me share the recipe with you! >>

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
makes a small batch of around 36-48 small pieces, easily multiplied

low fat, gluten free, lower sugar, egg free and clean eating friendly with dairy free and vegan options

100g dark chocolate (you can also use milk or white chocolate or a mix of milk and white, depending on your preferences* - use vegan/dairy free chocolate if desired)

1/4 cup (60g) peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

100g reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature (use vegan or lactose/dairy free cream cheese if desired)

Line a small loaf tin (or larger tin if you're doubling/tripling the recipe) with baking paper and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, mix your cream cheese until smooth, ensuring no lumps remain.
Get out a small saucepan and medium sized heatproof mixing bowl. Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove. Add your mixing bowl on top of the saucepan (ensuring the water isn't touching the bottom of your bowl).
Place your chocolate into the mixing bowl and melt, stirring constantly, until no chocolate lumps remain.
Mix in your peanut butter and remove your chocolate mix from the heat.
Quickly mix in your cream cheese (and maple syrup, if using to sweeten) into your chocolate mixture. It will thicken quite quickly, however, keep stirring to ensure everything is combined. (Note: It will thicken even quicker if your cream cheese is cold, making it hard to mix through - keep your cream cheese out of the fridge for a while beforehand for the best results)
Press your fudge mixture into your prepared tin using a spoon, spatula or a piece of baking paper. We find it's easiest to get a piece of baking paper the size of your tin to smooth and flatten out your fudge mixture into your pan.
Once your fudge is evenly spread out in your tin, place it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set before slicing and serving.
This fudge does need to be kept in the fridge and can be stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen in an airtight ziplock bag where it will keep indefinitely, however, it is best enjoyed fresh!