Introduction: Caramel Nut Fat Bomb

Fat bombs are high fat, low sugar, and often high protein treats that can really get you through a low spot in your day. I don't follow the keto diet but every now and then I need a pick-me-up and I try not to always go for something sugary. The protein and fat together is very satisfying and I end up eating just a bite or 2 instead of a dozen cookies. I figure that I do well in the long run.

These caramels are not overly sweet and the nuts add a nice crunch. You can sweeten yours more if you prefer. I like the fact that the caramel is softer than the cubes you can buy in the store.

Step 1: Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
Sweetener--to taste (I used splenda brown sugar)
Vanilla--optional
Nuts--your favorite ( I used lightly salted dry roasted peanuts)

Small molds or baking sheet

Step 2: Cooking

Brown the butter. Do this carefully so you get browned butter--not black.

Add the cream. Keep stirring. Continue to boil until the mixture is thickened. It should well coat a spoon (or in my case, a wooden whisk). This can take 5 or 6 minutes.

Step 3: The Rest of the Ingredients and Mold

Cool slightly--still stirring. Add the vanilla (just a quick splash--this is a small batch) and sweetener (I use a scant teaspoon of splenda brown sugar). Keep stirring.

You can add the nuts before pouring into the molds but I like the visible nuts on top so sometimes I filled the mold with nuts first, then poured the caramel over the top. Tap the mold lightly to get the caramel to settle in around the nuts. If you add the nuts before pouring, stir to coat the nuts. On the last few, I added the nuts after pouring and just pressed them in to make sure that they stuck to the caramel.

I have tiny silicone molds that were intended for candy making. I also have larger ones intended for ice cubes. I have still bigger ones too--cookie and cupcake sized. My advice is use what you have. If you have larger molds, you can partially fill them and or cut the pieces to make smaller, more manageable portions. You only need a bite or 2 in order to enjoy these. You may choose to drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. If you choose this method, stir in the nuts and continue to stir until the mixture thickens (cools) enough to hold its shape.

You can use a variety of nuts. This time I used lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts. If your nuts are not salted, you may want to add a touch of salt.

Pop the mold into the refrigerator. The caramel is soft at room temperature so I store them in the mold in the refrigerator.