Mammaw's Peanut Butter Fudge

AJC writer Reagan Walker offers this recipe, which came from her grandmother (Mammaw). "It isn't the usual creamy fudge, but an old-fashioned sugary one," she said. Her grandmother's instructions called for bringing the mixture to "a fairly hard ball." Walker has found a candy thermometer to be the easiest way to success. With 1 tablespoon butter, grease an 8- or 9-inch cake pan (round or square) and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining butter (1 stick), sugar, buttermilk and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, or a spoonful of the mixture forms into a fairly hard ball when dropped into a cup of cold water. This will take 40-45 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat until the fudge is glossy. Pour into the greased pan and allow to cool. Once the fudge is cool and set, cut into pieces. Per piece: 150 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 1 gram protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, less than 1 gram fiber, 7 grams fat, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 78 milligrams sodium.