These sweet tidbits are made from whole individual (shelled) pecans with a rum praline coating on each one.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Combine the cream, rum, and Tabasco in a bowl. Add the pecans and stir to coat. Add the brown sugar and toss with a fork to coat the pecans.

• Pour the coated pecans onto a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil and separate them into individual nuts with a fork.

• Bake for 10 minutes, stir the nuts around, and bake another 5 minutes. Let cool on the foil and then store in a tin with a tight-fitting lid.

Rum and Sugar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Most anywhere sugarcane grows rum is made, because rum is made from sugarcane. This includes the Caribbean. Jamaican rum is dark and slightly sweet, and Puerto Rican rum is lighter and drier. Whether the rum is dark, gold, white, or spiced, it is usually 80 proof, which means it is 40 percent alcohol. The exception is 151 rum, which is 75.5 percent alcohol. Beware!