Creme brulee is one of those desserts most of us wouldn't think to make at home. It's one of the first things we'll order at a restaurant, but it sounds like too much trouble for home cooking.
Well, it isn't. Truly, the only hassle with creme brulee is the planning, since it takes time to bake and then cool.
If you're a chocolate lover, use your favorite chocolate in this rich dessert.
DARK CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE
Makes 6 servings
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into small pieces or 2/3 cup Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place cream, half-and-half and vanilla extract in large saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth.
3. Whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large mixer bowl. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture.
4. Pour mixture through fine sieve into six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; fill pan with hot water to 1-inch depth.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until custards jiggle slightly when pan is shaken. Cool custards in water until cool enough to handle. Remove custards from water; refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap; continue to refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
6. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over tops of each custard. Place custards on baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until sugar is melted and caramelized (rotate pan as needed to prevent burning). Alternately, tops can be caramelized using kitchen torch. Refrigerate for 2 hours so that the topping can harden and the custard can cool and set.
