Salted Caramel Popsicles

For these salted caramel popsicles, first cook the salted caramel. Heat the sugar in a wide saucepan over medium heat and let it melt to an amber color, do not stir, just swirl the pan occasionally.

Stir the butter into the melted sugar, then carefully pour in the warm cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously, so whisk it and cook for about 2 minutes until smooth.

Season the caramel with sea salt and let it cool completely. Set some aside to decorate the finished popsicles.

Whisk the milk and cream together with the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled salted caramel and mix until you have an evenly colored creamy mixture.

For a chocolate fudge version, melt the chopped dark chocolate in a water bath and stir it into half of the mixture. This creates a second, darker popsicle flavor.

Fill the mixture into popsicle molds, insert wooden sticks and let them set in the freezer for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight.

Release the set popsicles by dipping the mold into warm water for a few seconds. Before serving, drizzle them with the reserved caramel and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.