CARAMEL NUT BROWNIE CUPS

Steps:

• Make shells:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a shallow baking pan toast almonds in one layer in middle of oven until fragrant, about 12 minutes, and cool. In a food processor finely grind 1/2 cup almonds with flour and salt. Reserve remaining almonds for topping brownie cups. Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan melt butter and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. In a bowl stir together chocolate mixture, almond mixture, sugar, and eggs until combined well. Chill dough until just firm, about 30 minutes.
• Roll level tablespoons dough into balls and lightly press balls into thirty-two 1/8-cup mini-muffin cups (1 3/4 inches across top and 3/4 inch deep). With thumb make a 1/3-inch-deep indentation in center of each ball. Chill shells 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• In a dry 3-quart heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until deep golden. Remove pan from heat and carefully pour corn syrup and cream down side of pan (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved and stir in vanilla and salt. Transfer caramel filling to a glass measure and cool 10 minutes.
• Carefully pour warm filling into each shell until it is level with top of shell (do not overfill or filling will overflow during baking). Chill brownie cups, loosely covered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake brownie cups in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until caramel just starts to bubble. Transfer pans to a rack and top brownie cups with reserved almonds. Cool brownie cups completely in pans. With a sharp thin knife loosen brownie cups and lift out of pans. Brownie cups keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 5 days.