Caramels:

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour all ingredients in a bowl. Microwave for 6 total minutes, but remove every 2 minutes to stir. Mixture should be bubbling when you remove it.

Quickly pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Let cool.

Cut into squares and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Set aside and get ready to make your chocolate.

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Chocolate covering:

Melt together chocolate chips and shortening in a glass bowl in the microwave on HALF the full power level of your microwave (my microwave’s highest power is 10 so I melted them on 5).

Melt them in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute, until smooth.

Using a spoon, lower caramel squares, one by one into chocolate. Remove with spoon and set onto pan with wax paper.

Immediately sprinkle with sea salt while chocolate is warm. Let cool until chocolate hardens. This is the best homemade almond bark because it is a really good dark chocolate from the chips, rather than the candy chocolate “flavor” of most “chocolate” bark.

Eat some, then wrap the rest up for friends. Or eat them all. You choose ;)