Chocolate Caramel Cups

Chocolate caramel cups = happiness.  At least, that's what you'll think right after you eat one.

Yield: 50 candies

Ingredients

• Approximately 3 pounds dark chocolate
• You can use confectionary coating if you prefer to not temper chocolate
• 50 foil cups, 1 1/4-inch diameter
• Caramel
• 380g Sugar
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 193g heavy whipping cream, warm
• 93g butter
• 1 tbsp cognac

Directions

1. Melt & temper the chocolate.
2. Using a tablespoon, fill ten cups with chocolate.  Then, in the same order that you filled them, invert each over the bowl of chocolate to pour out the excess, leaving a thin chocolate shell.  Place each on a wire rack to set.
3. Repeat step #2 until all cups have been coated in chocolate.
4. To make the caramel, combine the sugar with the lemon juice in a medium saucepan.  Melt over medium heat and carmelize the sugar while stirring constantly.
5. Add the warm cream slowly while stirring over low heat.
6. Stir in the butter until melted and combined.  Add the cognac.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
7. The caramel should have a thick fluid viscosity.  If it's too thick then you can thin it with additional cognac or cream.
8. Fill each prepared chocolate cup with caramel, leaving approximately 3 millimeters of space at the top.
9. Fill each cup with chocolate to seal and finish.