CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Unwrap the caramels and place the unwrapped caramels on a dinner plate covered in waxed paper.
• Break wooden skewers into 4 or 5 pieces each (or use round toothpicks or those little plastic swards often used for drinks) and insert a small piece of the skewer into each caramel (to create a small lollypop type appearance).
• Measure out the chocolate wafers, put chocolate into small ramekin microwavable cups.
• Microwave on low (I use power 5 or 6) for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, stirring often to ensure the chocolate does not burn.
• Since you are only covering 8 caramels in chocolate, to make sure the chocolate does not harden, fill a cereal or soup bowl with a small amount of hot tap water; place the ramekin with the melted chocolate in the bowl of water so the warm water surrounds the ramekin - be careful not to get any water in the melted chocolate.
• Pick up the caramel by its stick and dip into the chocolate; spread the chocolate onto the surface of the caramel (I used a small pickle fork to do this).
• Immediately dip the chocolate covered caramel into your desired toppings - Note the chocolate hardens very quickly once on the caramel.
• Place the decorated chocolate caramel back onto the dinner plate so the chocolate can fully harden.
• Repeat this process with all caramels; once finished store the chocolate covered caramels in a sealed container or wrap individually in plastic wrap for gifts.
• IDEA - S'more caramel; cut mini marshmallows in half, cover caramel with dark or milk chocolate, immediately place the cut marshmallows onto the chocolate surface of the caramel, let dry, spread a small amount of white chocolate onto each marshmallow and immediately dip in graham wafer crumbs.