Chocolate Salted Caramel Buttons

Chocolate Salted Caramel Button Candies

Makes 20 depending on size of chocolate rounds

10 ounces chocolate of your preference

Fleur de Sel

Melt chocolate in  a medium bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Line a pan or plate that fits in your freezer with parchment or wax paper.
Fill a plastic bag with the corner snipped, make a parchment bag, or use an icing bag fitted with a number 4 or 5 tip.
Pipe rounds an equal number of rounds onto the parchment and place in freezer to firm up.

Caramel Filling

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, with tall sides combine sugar and water and cook over medium-high heat.
Using a heat proof pastry brush and warm water "paint" the warm water onto any sugar that is stuck to the pan edges.  Liquefying this sugar prevents recrystallization in your finished product.
Attach a candy thermometer.
Boil without stirring until it turns a deep amber color.
Boil to just below 240F the soft ball stage - you want the caramel spreadable but not liquid.  It firms as it cools.
Watch carefully as the sugar will continue to brown after removed from the heat.
Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream (watch for sputtering) and vanilla,  whisking until it is very smooth.

Assembly

Fill rounds with caramel filling by dropping a small amount with a spoon or piping in the center of the flat side of one round then covering with the flat side of the another round creating a sandwich. Apply light pressure and the caramel will spread to the edges.

Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Firm in the freezer.