Shortcut to Decadence

I recently ran across a recipe for a decadent dessert that has quickly become a family favorite.  A sea-salt caramel Pots de Creme.  The recipe came out great but making caramel from scratch can be fiddley.  I also wanted some chocolate in my dessert.  This meant I had to rework the recipe to make it easy, fool-proof, and incorporate chocolate!  Here you go - the recipe I came up with.

What you need:
8-10 ounces Caramel Sauce (squeeze bottle is best)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (whole is best but use what you have)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt for recipe
Sea salt (from a grinder is best) for each finished
6 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 large egg yolks

Putting it together:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Slowly heat the cream, milk, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Remove from heat once throughly warmed. Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the caramel sauce.  When it is completely warm -  remove from heat, add the chocolate chips and stir until all are melted and the sauce is smooth.  Carefully and slowly, stir in the warm cream mixture. 

Seperate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the yolks into a medium mixing bowl.  You will only use the yolks on this recipe. (Consider saving the whites for a healthy white's only omelet to offset this treat!)  Using a hand mixer, whip the yolks until they are light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the cream/caramel/chocolate mixture. 

Divide into ramekins (I used inexpensive Pyrex glass ones) which are sitting in a large bakeware pan.  Pour hot water into the bakeware about half-way up the ramikens, being careful to avoid spilling or splashing any into the filled ramekins. Cover the entire pan with foil. Now is the time to be extra careful as you move the pan into the oven without sloshing the water bath.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the mixture sets. Being extra careful, remove the pan from the oven and the ramekins from the water bath.  I put them on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap after they've cooled enough to handle. Chill for a couple hours, at minimum.  Sprinkle with a bit of crushed sea salt before serving.