Pumpkin Eggnog Fudge!

 

Just when you thought the holidays were over…not here!  Even with the unseasonably warm winter we’ve been having around here (seriously, 60 degrees in January?  What is this, Louisiana?) I’m holding the winter spirit in my heart, and in my kitchen.

As in…leftovers.  We bought a carton of eggnog for our holiday gatherings, and still have about half of it left.  And well… at some point, you just get tired of having it the same old way in a glass.

We also have some canned pumpkin around the house (you know, in case of an emergency pie situation), so I figured some fudge was in order.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup eggnog

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 jar (7oz) marshmallow crème (NOTE: You can use 7 oz of regular marshmallows instead, but the added time it’ll take for them to melt down & then combine with the rest of the ingredients will cut down your window of time to get this poured out into the pan at the end, since it starts to harden pretty quick.

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Line a 9x13 dish with foil (this really does make things easier in the end, despite being a pain in the butt)

2. Combine sugar, brown sugar, eggnog, pumpkin, butter, and spice in a medium saucepan (note: a nonstick pan works best—I tried half the batch in a stainless steel pot & a lot more of it stuck to the pan) & bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil, still stirring, for 10-12 minutes or until it reaches the soft ball stage (about 234-240 degrees F, if you have a candy thermometer).

3. Turn off heat, & quickly add in white chocolate chips, marshmallow, nuts & vanilla, & stir vigorously for 1 minute or until chocolate is melted.

4. Pour into the prepared pan & smooth out the top.  Let sit on a wire rack for 2 hours.  To cut, lift the foil from the pan & then pull away from the edges:

 

Cut into 1-inch pieces.  Makes about 3 lbs of fudge, or 48 servings (2 pieces of fudge per serving.

NutriFacts:

Calories: 150

Calories from fat: 60

Fat: 7g

Carbs: 21g

Sugars: 20g

Protein: 1g

Vitamin A: 8%