How to make christmas licorice caramel with dark chocolate + salt

Usually I use the measurement deciliter, where 10 deciliter equals one litre. In this recipe I've written the measurements in tablespoons. Eight (8) tablespoons = 1 deciliter.

Mix cream and sugar.

Stir and add treacle/golden syrup.

The batter is now golden. Stir some more....

...and add cocoa powder. I didn't sift it but I would recommend that.

Stir some more.

These are the pepper candies I'm using. It's a Finnish candy called "Turkish pepper". As you can see it varies in "heat" and this the strongest one.

This is what the candies look like...they are hard and melts on your tongue. Inside there's a salty powder.

Add the candies. Now stir until it starts boiling. The candies will become a sticky mess but they will melt eventually. Just keep stirring. Don't leave the pot unattended!

Boil for about 15 minutes. I allowed the mixture to reach 114 degrees. Without a thermometer, put some of the caramel mix in cold water using a teaspoon. Dip the spoon in a mug with cold water.

If you can form a bite sized piece of caramel, the candy is ready. If not, boil for another few minutes.

Pour the candy into a pan with parchment paper and let it cool. Now comes the really sticky (tricky) part....

Trying to cut the caramel...

You need someone with enough arm power to cut it though. Preferably you're 2 persons doing this. The quality of the knife also matters.

Remember; patience is a virtue!

Cut in preferred sizes. Use a sharp knife or a pair of scissors.

Melt the chocolate.

You're supposed to dip every piece in the chocolate but we decided to make it a bit easier.

We used a plastic brush and covered the sides and the top. Doing it this way gave us some leftover chocolate.

We ended up dipping pecans in it (not in the photo). Those will work well with some homemade ice cream!

Finally sprinkle the candies with rock salt.

This recipe makes between 40-60 pieces.

The licorice, the chocolate and salt is a winning combination! Happy holidays!