Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

• Heavy Cream2 cups
• Dark Chocolate (70%), finely chopped4 oz
• Egg Yolks5 large
• Sugar¼ cup
• Coffee Liqueur (Kahlúa or Tia Maria)2 tbsp
• Vanilla Bean, split and scraped1
• Pinch of Salt—

• White Caster Sugar1 tbsp per ramekin

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place 4–6 ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. Infuse the cream. Combine cream and the vanilla bean (pod + scraped seeds) in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from heat.
3. Melt the chocolate. Add the chopped chocolate to the hot cream. Let sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then whisk until fully smooth.
4. Make the custard base. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until slightly pale, about 1 minute. Very slowly pour the warm chocolate cream into the yolks, whisking constantly — pour in a thin stream at first to temper without scrambling.
5. Add liqueur. Stir in the coffee liqueur and a pinch of salt.
6. Strain and fill. Pass the custard through a fine mesh sieve. Divide evenly between the ramekins — fill to about ¾ full.
7. Water bath. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil.
8. Bake. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the custard is just set at the edges but has a distinct wobble in the centre — it will firm up as it cools. Check at 30 minutes; ramekin depth affects timing.
9. Cool and chill. Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
10. Brûlée. Sprinkle an even layer of caster sugar over each custard. Torch in slow circular passes until the sugar is deep amber and crackled. Let sit 60 seconds before serving — the top sets as it cools.