Lydia Pinkham's peanut butter fudge

Lydia Pinkham’s Peanut Butter Fudge

This recipe was originally published in “Fruits and Candies” around 1920, a publication printed by Lydia Pinkham’s company after her death in 1883.

Find out more about Lydia Estes Pinkham and the important part she played in Women’s health in the US in the late 1800’s.

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar (note to metric users, these are American 240ml cups so keep that in mind when measuring)

6 teaspoons of peanut butter (2 US tablespoons or 1 and 1/2 UK or Australian tablespoons)

1/2 cup or 120ml of milk

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Butter or margarine to grease your dish

You’ll also need a candy thermometer or a cup of ice water

Method

Cook together 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1/2 cup of milk over a gentle heat until it reaches 235-245 degrees F/ 113 – 118 degrees C or forms a soft ball when dropped into ice water.

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, pour into a clean bowl and beat until creamy.

Pour into a buttered dish and when nearly cold cut into small squares.

Gin fizz

Gin Fizz

The gin fizz is a lovely refreshing old time cocktail. Bring back the fizz!

Ingredients

45ml or 1 1/2oz gin

1 1/2 teaspoons of rich sugar syrup (you can find the recipe here but make sure you watch this video first as the ratio of sugar to water is not the same!)

3 teaspoons of lemon juice

soda water

ice cubes

lemon slice for garnish

a cocktail shaker

Method

Half fill your cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

Add the gin, sugar syrup and lemon juice.

Shake shake shake.

Pour into a glass of ice.

Add the soda water and garnish with the lemon juice.

Sip through a straw.