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1
Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides.
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2
With a paper towel, coat the bottom and sides of the foil with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.
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3
Set aside.
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4
In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil.
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5
Add the sugar, corn syrup, and honey and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the mixture comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).
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6
Wash down the sides of the pan two times with a pastry brush dipped in warm water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
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7
Place a candy thermometer in the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it registers 257F on the thermometer (about 15 minutes).
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8
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla paste, and 2 teaspoons of the sea salt.
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9
Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and let it sit at room temperature until cool and set (about 1 hour).
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10
With the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil, coat a cutting board and the blade of a large chefs knife.
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11
Remove the candy from the pan by by lifting out the foil; invert the caramel onto the cutting board and peel the foil off of the caramel.
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12
Cut the caramel into eight 1-inch-wide strips, then cut each strip into four pieces.
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13
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.
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14
Melt and temper the chocolate (see pages 2530).
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15
Place a caramel into the tempered chocolate, coating it completely.
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16
With a dipper or fork remove the caramel from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and slide the caramel off the dipper onto the paper.
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17
After dipping 4 caramels, sprinkle the center of the top of each with a pinch of sea salt.
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18
Let the caramels set up at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
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19
In a tightly covered container between layers of waxed paper, the caramels will keep for 1 month at room temperature.
