Toppings Recipe

Melt and Combine

Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream until it begins to steam but not boil (about 2–3 minutes). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit 1 minute to soften.

Stir the chocolate and cream together until smooth. Add butter, corn syrup, and salt; stir until butter is melted and sauce is glossy. If sauce is too thick, stir in up to 1–2 tablespoons warm cream to reach desired consistency.

Keep warm in a small insulated container or over a double boiler set to very low heat, stirring occasionally. Sauce will thicken as it cools; rewarm gently before serving.

Make Caramel

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the granulated sugar in an even layer. Without stirring, let sugar begin to melt at the edges. Gently swirl the pan occasionally to encourage even melting until sugar is entirely liquefied and amber in color (about 6–8 minutes). Watch carefully to avoid burning.

As soon as sugar reaches amber color, reduce heat to low and carefully add the butter pieces (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir with a heatproof spatula until butter is fully combined.

Slowly pour in the warmed heavy cream while stirring (mixture will bubble). Continue stirring until smooth, then remove from heat. Stir in sea salt and vanilla extract. If any crystals form on the pan sides, brush down with a wet pastry brush before adding butter/cream to prevent graininess.

Allow caramel to cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a jar and keep at room temperature for immediate use or refrigerate up to 2 weeks (warm gently before serving).

Cook Berries

Combine raspberries, granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries break down and release juices, about 6–8 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch with the lemon juice to form a slurry (smooth). Stir the slurry into the raspberry mixture and continue to cook 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible for a smooth sauce. Discard seeds. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate if not using immediately. Store up to 5 days.

Candied Pecans

Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon; stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbling gently.

Add the pecan halves and toss to coat evenly. Cook, stirring frequently, 3–5 minutes until pecans are toasted and glaze is thickened and coats the nuts.

Spread pecans in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and let cool completely. As they cool the glaze will set into a crisp coating. Once cool, break apart any clusters and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.