Chocolate Crème Brûlée

I will provide you with the recipe for chocolate crème brûlée, with that irresistible touch of creaminess and crispy caramelized sugar topping. Here are the ingredients and the process for preparing this delicious dessert:

Ingredients

• 100 g of good quality dark chocolate
• 250 ml of fresh cream
• 150 ml of whole milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 70 g of granulated sugar, plus extra for caramelization
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C (302 °F).
2. Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place them in a bowl.
3. Heat the cream and milk in a pan with the slit vanilla pod (or vanilla extract), without bringing them to a boil.
4. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it rest for one minute, then stir until you have a smooth and homogeneous cream.
5. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with granulated sugar until you have a light and frothy mixture.
6. Gently incorporate the chocolate cream into the yolk mixture, stirring gently to avoid incorporating air.
7. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl to remove any lumps and the vanilla pod if used.
8. Pour the cream into crème brûlée dishes or a suitable ovenproof dish.
9. Place the dishes in a baking tray and fill the tray with hot water up to half the height of the dishes to create a bain-marie.
10. Cook in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the cream is just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
11. Remove the dishes from the bain-marie and let them cool to room temperature, then place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
12. Before serving, evenly sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar over each crème brûlée and caramelize with a kitchen torch or under the grill until a golden and crisp surface is achieved.

Curiosity

Although crème brûlée is a typically French dessert, the addition of chocolate transforms it into a whole new and rich experience. In France, it is often found on restaurant menus under the name “crème brûlée au chocolat”. The crispy caramelization of the superficial sugar is the most critical and fun part of the preparation, and the one that gives the dessert its characteristic contrast of textures.