Chocolate- Filled Caramel Buns

These caramel buns hide a melted chocolate kiss inside each one, sitting on a sticky layer of caramel pecan frosting that becomes the topping when you flip the pan. Four ingredients, no yeast, no rising time.

Refrigerator biscuit dough does the work here. Wrap each biscuit around a chocolate kiss, pinch it sealed, and nestle the filled buns over the frosting and pecans. As they bake, the caramel bubbles up around the edges and the chocolate melts into a gooey pocket in the center.

The 3-minute rest after baking is critical. It lets the caramel stop bubbling and thicken just enough to cling to the buns instead of running off when you invert the pan. Don’t wait longer than 5 minutes though, or the caramel will set and glue everything to the pan.

Chef Tips

• Pinch the biscuit dough completely closed around each chocolate kiss. Any gap and the chocolate leaks out during baking, leaving you with an empty bun.
• Press the pecan halves flat-side up into the frosting so the rounded tops face down. When you flip the pan, the flat side shows and the buns look polished.
• Grease the pan well even though you’re spreading frosting on the bottom. The caramel can still stick to the edges.
• Serve warm while the chocolate center is still melted and gooey.

Variations

• Use peanut butter cups instead of chocolate kisses for a chocolate-peanut butter center.
• Swap pecans for walnuts or toasted almonds.
• Dust with flaky sea salt right after inverting for a salted caramel finish.