Eggnog Fudge

Drumroll please...it's time to unveil a seasonal treat.


It's no secret that I love eggnog.  As a child, I knew that the Christmas season meant Santa, presents, and eggnog.  I remember pouring it out of the carton into glasses and grinding a dusting of nutmeg over the top.

My lifetime observations about eggnog:

• It is the most delicious, incredible treat.
• The calorie count is irrelevant under the 80/20 rule.  The one carton of eggnog that I consume during the month of December is a tiny fraction of the 20% of my food intake that brings 80% of my food pleasure.
• Homemade eggnog is overrated.  The stuff in the carton is plenty good, and pasteurized too.
• Adding alcohol to eggnog is overrated.  As much as I love booze, eggnog is so good it doesn't need any enhancement apart from nutmeg.
• Freshly ground nutmeg is overrated, but highly nostalgic.  My parents bought whole nutmegs and had a dedicated nutmeg grinder.  I own a nutmeg grater and have a lifetime supply of nutmegs, yet at some point I switched over to ground nutmeg from a can.  Life is still good.
• Nothing will ever beat a plain glass of eggnog, but there is much joy in adding eggnog to treats.  Eggnog cookies, eggnog cheesecake, and most of all, eggnog fudge FTW.

Ingredients
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup eggnog
• 10½ ounces white chocolate
• nutmeg
• 7 oz marshmallow fluff
• 1 teaspoon rum extract

Method:

Line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper.

Combine the butter, sugar, and eggnog over medium heat.

Stir occasionally until the butter is melted.

Stir constantly until it comes to a boil.

Get out your thermometer.  234°F is the magic number.  What do you do if you don't have a fancy digital thermometer?  Well, since this is the first year I've owned one, I can tell you from previous experience that letting it boil for about 8 minutes while stirring constantly will get you there.

Now you need to work fast.  Take the pot off the heat and add the white chocolate.

Whisk until smooth.

Now add the fluff and stir fast to get it all in.

Just a word of warning, fluff is a messy business.

Now you can return to a calmer mood and add the rum extract.

And a little sprinkle of nutmeg.

Pour the fudge into the pan.  Refrigerate for a few hours.

When the fudge is fully hardened (I usually let it sit overnight), remove the paper.

Cut it up into squares.

And enjoy your treat.