CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE              back to home

6 servings

We are a house divided when it comes to this wonderful dessert. I like the traditional creme brulee best- and my husband likes the chocolate version. They are both delicious in my opinion- and i do try to keep him happy with this chocolate take on the classic from time to time.

2 cups heavy cream

1 T instant espresso powder

4 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate- broken into chunks

6 egg yolks

4 T white sugar + more for the caramelized tops

1  1/2 t pure vanilla extract

6 little ramekins or custard cups- to hold about 3 ounces

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Prepare the water bath:

You will need a baking dish that is at least 2 inches high that will accommodate the ramekins. Line the bottom with a paper towel- as this will keep the ramekins from scooting around when baking.

Put the cream and the espresso powder into a heavy duty,deep,medium saucepan- (the cream tends to boil over) bring to a simmer. Stir until all the powder has dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir into the hot cream mixture until well combined and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Whisk the yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until well blended and very smooth.

When the cream/chocolate mixture has cooled (enough not to “cook” the yolks )slowly pour the chocolate into the bowl with the egg yolks- whisk until very well combined.

Divide the creamy chocolate mixture into the ramekins  filling to the top. I hold a little strainer over the top of the ramekins when poring the mixture in- it will capture any foam or bubbles.

Place the ramekins in the prepared water bath pan and carefully pour warm water in until it reaches the level halfway up the sides.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until custard is set. Leave in the water bath until cooled. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve- sprinkle about 2 t of sugar over the tops, and for best results use a small hand held torch to melt the sugar. If you don’t have a torch you can run them under a broiler until the sugar melts. Return them to fridge for a few minutes to re-chill.

To serve these warm without the “brulee”- remove from the water bath and dry off the cups and serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.