Talented pastry chef Cassandra Chen worked at some of San Francisco’s finest restaurants before starting her own line of artisanal caramels, sauces and caramel corn. These decadent caramels reflect her training—she uses only the best butter, cream and real Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans and cooks the ingredients in small batches until the caramel is dark and rich, with a smooth, velvety texture. No artificial flavorings are ever used. The soft vanilla bean–flecked caramels are elegant enough to serve on their own, for dessert, with a small glass of Cognac.