Chocolate-Topped Sea Salt Caramels

I don't know about you, but I LOVE sweet and salty flavors together. I love the Nature Valley Sweet and Salty granola bars, and there is a pecan turtle that you can get a Costco that has a salty sweet flavor to it, so when I ran across this recipe I HAD to try it. It was awesome but I thought it was missing something.... nuts!!! I have to have nuts with caramel and chocolate, I get that from my dad ( I think we're all just a bit nutty in my family) So I followed the recipe like it was on the Betty Crocker web site, except I added pecans. I also changed the semi-sweet chocolate chips to milk chocolate chips and used 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup. The recipe below is posted with my changes. These turned out delicious! The salt on top is just enough so the caramels aren't too sweet! YUMMO!

Chocolate-Topped Sea Salt Caramels
Makes 48 caramels

Butter for greasing foil
1 cup butter (do not use margarine)
2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar (1 lb)
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 cups whole pecans (I didn't measure them, I just covered the bottom of my lined pan with pecans)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Line bottom and sides of 11x7-inch glass baking dish or pan with foil, leaving 1 inch foil overhanging on 2 opposite sides of pan; grease foil with butter. (I used parchment paper that I buttered, caramels stuck just a bit, so next time I am going to try the foil) Sprinkle pecans to cover the bottom of the foil-lined pan.
In 3-quart heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the corn syrup and sweetened-condensed milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 40 to 50 minutes or until 248°F on candy thermometer (firm ball stage). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into pan over pecans, (I drizzled so the caramel wouldn't disturb the pecans too much). Refrigerate about 1 hour or until completely cooled.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips on High for30 secondss, stir; if not completely melted mircrowave for 10 to 15 seconds more and stir again. Repeat if necessary, until chocolate is melted. Using spatula, spread chocolate evenly over caramel layer. Sprinkle entire top chocolate layer with 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Remove caramels from baking dish to cutting surface, using foil to lift; peel back foil. Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store in the refridgerator.
Makes 48 caramels.