A New Creation: Chocolate Caramel Cups

Everyone who has been around me when someone busts out a box of See's knows I go straight for the Caramel Patties. They are the little disc looking chocolates, flat and round, filled with caramel and covered in chocolate. So simple, but sooo good.

These Chocolate Caramel Cups are basically the same ingredients just a little bigger allowing for more caramel. Oh, and I added a sprinkle of sea salt on top to intensify the flavors.

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz's Chocolate-Covered Salted Peanut Caramel Cups recipe. I don't need peanuts getting in the way here, people.

These were pretty simple to make, I started with the caramel:

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a heavy saucepan. Add in a 1/2 lb. brown sugar and a sprinkling of salt.

Stir in 1/2 cup light corn syrup. Mix well. Add half of a 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk stirring constantly and bring it up to 245 degrees, the Firm Ball Stage.

Once you're there, take it off the heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour into a buttered 8x8 pan and let cool.

Meanwhile, get the chocolate cups going. Simply melt down 16 oz. of chocolate in a double boiler, or a bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. I used E. Guittard because I've been meaning to try it. You can probably use chocolate chips.

Once melted, put a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate into each cup. I used mini muffin cups which seemed to be a good size. Roll the melty chocolate around to coat the sides. Add more if needed. Put them in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to set.

Cut into your pan of caramel to make little squares that will fit into the cups.

Press the caramel down a bit so it is flat across the top. This will help to get the flat top of chocolate on your finished cups.

Drop one more teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of the caramel and give the pan a good shake to flatten out the top coat. Sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt and put back in the fridge to set.