Place a rounded tablespoon of the toffee pieces in the bottom 6 pot de creme or other small bowls.

Place all other ingredients except the the half and half in a blender container. Blend on high speed for about 10 seconds, just to mix ingredients and break up the chocolate pieces.

Place half and half in a microwave safe cup or bowl. You want a container big enough so the half and half won’t boil over. Heat on high for about 1 ½ minutes until half and half is boiling for about 10 seconds. Remove and pour into blender with chocolate. Cover and quickly turn blender to high speed. Blend for 1 minute then uncover and set aside for a few minutes to cool down a bit.

Divide chocolate mixture between the prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on a tray or plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Can be made 1-2 days in advance. Top with toffee sauce and whipped cream just before serving. I like to add a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the caramel sauce.

For the toffee sauce, place the dark brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from microwave and stir well. Cook on high for another 2 minutes then add heavy cream, stir well and return to microwave for 1 more minute. Remove, add vanilla bean paste and sea salt and stir well. Transfer to jar or other storage container and allow to cool. Use immediately or store in refrigerator. Warm before using. If sauce is too thick, add a tiny bit of cream or half and half and stir well.