Crunchy Nutcracker Cookies with Caramel and Chocolate, Just Like from the Pastry Shop

Ingredients

½ cup plus 2 tbsp120 ggranulated sugar
2 ½ tbsp40 gheavy creamGerman cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
2 ½ tbsp50 ghoney
3 ½ tbsp50 gunsalted butterGerman butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.
14 oz400 ghazelnutsskinned (important!)

To skin the nuts, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) convection (fan) and spread the nuts in a baking dish or on a baking sheet.
Roast the nuts for about 20 minutes, until your kitchen smells wonderful, then let them cool completely.
To skin them, put the nuts on a kitchen towel, gather it up into a bag and rub the nuts firmly against each other inside it.
Once the nuts are skinned, shake off the skins and set the nuts aside.
Preheat the oven again to 350°F (180°C) convection (fan). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
For the caramel nut mixture, bring the remaining ingredients to a rolling boil in a pot over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the nuts and stir them in.
Turn the stove down to the lowest setting and place small portions of the mixture on the baking sheet. Stir the mixture in the pot regularly so it doesn't burn. If the mixture gets too firm, turn up the heat a little and wait until everything is warm again.
After baking, use a greased round cookie cutter to twist the nutcrackers back into shape right on the baking sheet, then let them cool. Do this immediately after baking, while the caramel nut mixture is still hot!
Let the nutcrackers cool completely before coating them!

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/nutcrackers-caramel-hazelnut-cookies/