DARK CHOCOLATE WITH COCOA NIBS RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish.
• Mix melted butter, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add flour and mix until well blended. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared dish; crimp edges decoratively. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 18 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack. Maintain oven temperature.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cocoa nibs and chopped pecans. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until mixture spreads and is deep golden brown, about 18 minutes (mixture will flow together into 1 piece on baking sheet). Remove from oven; cool completely on sheet. Break praline into irregular pieces or shards. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight in single layer at room temperature.)
• Bring 2 cups milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup milk to blend in medium bowl; whisk in cocoa powder and cornstarch until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Pour filling into cooled pie crust. Refrigerate until filling is cold and set, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Cut pie into wedges. Serve with whipped cream and praline pieces.

Steps:

• Line an 11-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine 1 cup cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, washing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to remove any stray sugar crystals.When the temperature reaches 220 degrees, add chocolate and butter and return to a boil. Slowly add remaining 1 cup cream. Cook at a gentle boil, still stirring, until temperature reaches 240 degrees (soft-ball stage), another 30 to 40 minutes.Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan (do not scrape the pot). Sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours without moving.When cool, lift out of baking pan using edges of parchment paper as handles. Using a large buttered knife or a pastry cutter, cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch logs. Wrap each piece in cellophane or waxed paper.Caramels will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month. Let come to room temperature before serving if you prefer a softer caramel.** I halved the original recipe, which seemed ridiculously huge, and adjusted the cooking times as necessary as a smaller batch will take less time to come to temperature. Even this half-sized batch will still make a TON of caramels, and remember that you’ve got to (tediously) wrap them all individually, so plan accordingly.