Handmade caramel is sophisticated and soothingly sweet, especially when combined with the bold flavors of artisan chocolate. You can also dip these bonbons in tempered chocolate before you dust them to create chocolate caramel truffles.

Makes about 30 truffles

Chocolate Choices:

Green & Black's or Michel Cluizel dark chocolate
Scharffen Berger milk chocolate
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick)
unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces dark chocolate
(70% cacao or higher),
finely chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate,
finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened
cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions:

Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy pan. Stir gently
until all the sugar is wet, and make sure no sugar crystals are on the sides of the pan. Place over medium heat-no stirring-and allow the mixture to boil for about 10 minutes.

You can cover the pan for a few minutes as it boils, which will wash away any unwanted sugar crystals on the
sides. You'll start to see a light amber color form around the edges of the sugar. Continue boiling until the mixture is the color of honey or maple syrup. This is now caramel, so be careful because it is very hot!

Turn off the heat and plunge the saucepan into the ice water to "shock" the sugar and stop it from cooking.
Place the pot on a heatproof surface, add the butter, then the cream, vanilla, and salt. It will steam and bubble up.

Stir it together, and once the mixture has cooled off (about 10 minutes), add the dark and milk chocolates and stir until mixed. If the caramel sticks to the bottom of the pan, return the pot to the burner and stir over very low heat.

Transfer this mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool and firm up in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. With a
melon baller or sturdy spoon, scoop out as many balls as you need (any unused portion can be reheated and used as a sauce over ice cream). Roll them between your palms to achieve a round shape. Refrigerate them for about 30 minutes, then dust them with cocoa powder and serve.