These are my husband’s absolute, hands-down, no-contest favorite Christmas goodie. They’re also my favorite non-chocolate Christmas goodie. And they’re absolutely delicious: bite-sized, rich, buttery caramels studded with pretty flecks of vanilla bean. They’re sweet, buttery, and salty all at the same time. And addicting. Betcha can’t eat just 5.

Every year, we make a few batches and drop a Foodie Groom-sized handful into everyone’s goodie bag. The upside is that everyone loves them. The downside is the wrapping process. 64 candies per batch. My husband cuts the squares, I wrap the candies. There are far worse chores to do (like the dishes!) but it’s still a bit tedious. May I suggest that you grab a glass of wine, or keep it G-rated with a mug of hot chocolate, and crank up the Christmas music? Or our interpretation: Battlestar Galactica Season 2. Sometimes I’m surprised that we don’t die of geek overdose around here 🙂

Get the recipe: Fleur de Sel Caramels with Vanilla Bean

The 12 Days of Homemade Christmas 2010