Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix

3/4 cup sugar, divided
4 tbsp water
4 tbsp + 4 tsp heavy whipping cream
2 egg white
spinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pecans, chopped
milk chocolate chips for melting and drizzling
course sea salt

Directions:
For the cupcakes:
Bake the cupcakes according to package directions and let them cool completely before frosting.

For Salted Caramel Buttercream:
Place 1/2 cup of sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Do not stir of you will get sugar crystals, only swirl the saucepan gently. It will bubble itself into a deep amber. Remove immediately from heat and add cream (careful – it will bubble up furiously).

Stir until smooth. Divide caramel into two separate and equal portions and set aside.Place the egg whites, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees. Transfer to bowl of standing mixer. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Add butter a bit at a time, and continue beating on high. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla extract, and then one of your portions of caramel (you may need to gently rewarm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is workable but not burning hot). Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until buttercream texture is reached.

Pipe buttercream frosting onto each cupcake then roll sides in chopped pecans. Drizzle top of cupcake with melted chocolate and then with second batch of caramel. Sprinkle ever so slightly with course sea salt.

Chocolate Caramel Cookies With Sea Salt

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa -ok to use dark
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain yogurt1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Soft caramel*, rolled into little balls
Sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF; line 2 baking sheets with baking paper, lightly coated with cooking spray. I used Silpats! Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sift together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Wrap the chocolate dough around the caramel balls. Place balls on cookie sheets and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

*you can use Werthers or Kraft caramels of if you're fancy, Peters Chocolate's caramel