Rum and Eggnog Caramels

In a medium-large saucepan, melt butter, honey and sugars over medium heat, monitoring the temperature with a candy thermometer and stirring occasionally. Make sure you have lots of extra room in the pan, as the mixture will bubble up when it reaches higher temperatures.

Meanwhile, prepare a 9×9 square glass or metal baking dish with two layers of parchment paper in a criss cross fashion with the edges hanging over the sides of the dish.

Add eggnog and rum extract to the butter and sugar mixture, and increase heat to medium-high, stirring often to keep the sugar from burning. Have the nutmeg on hand to add quickly during the next step.

When the mixture reaches firm ball stage on your candy thermometer, about 244-245 F, remove pan from heat and quickly stir in the nutmeg, then pour it into the prepared parchment-lined dish. Set dish aside to cool and firm for about 2 1/2 hours.

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, drop a small amount of the caramel mixture into a bowl of cold water. Caramels are ready when the candy is firm but is pliable and can be shaped.

After they have cooled and firmed, turn the caramels out of the pan onto a cutting board and peel off the parchment paper. Cut caramels into 1″ strips then cut strips into 1″ squares with a sharp, oiled knife. Wrap the caramels in little pieces of parchment paper, making sure to test a few right away!

Store in the refrigerator for firm, chewy caramels, or at room temperature for softer caramels.