salty caramel acorns

nutty.

some people crave salty and some people crave sweet. and some people crave them both simultaneously. that's where salty caramel acorns step in to save the day. they don't take any longer to make than a regular christmas cookie, and they're a great alternative for gluten enemies.

they can be as complicated or easy as you want. make some caramel or buy it- if you use a salted caramel, then you don't need the additional coarse salt . chop up chocolate, or buy the disks. chop up the toasted nuts, or just stick a whole one in there.

these guys require a candy mold and a clean paintbrush (used only for food). my mold only makes 6 acorns at a time, which is a bit of pain. i'd suggest a mold like this one that allows you to make more at a time.

once the chocolate is melted (click here for a refresh of how to melt chocolate), paint a layer in each cavity, making sure that it goes all the way up to the top of the mold. pop the mold in the fridge for about 15 minutes. when it gets out, paint another coat of chocolate on the inside and chill again for 15 minutes.

add a small dollop of caramel to the middle of each cavity. don't go crazy and fill it up past the top of the mold, or the back of the chocolates will crack when unmolding. add a nut to the center, or sprinkle with chopped nuts. if using plain caramel, add a sprinkle of coarse salt to each cavity. (i overdid it a bit, so don't follow the photo verbatim). add the final bit of melted chocolate to each cavity and tap the mold on the counter to release any air bubbles. chill in the fridge for about 25 minutes, then check to see if they're ready- twist the mold gently then flip it over and check to see if the chocolate has pulled away from the mold. if it has, tap out each candy. if it hasn't, put it back in the fridge to set for another 10-15 minutes. twist the mold again, then flip it over and pop em out. eat them up. yum.