Chocolate Creme Brulee

Chocolate creme brulee: an impressive dessert that’s so simple to make. Just a handful of simple ingredients and you’ll be in chocolate heaven! 

Good Tuesday morning!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  But, if not, then maybe I should offer you some chocolate.

Chocolate creme brulee, to be exact.  Doesn’t it sound so fancy?  With the French name?  Truth is, it’s one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make.

I had a little bit of a scheduling snafu this week and I realized I didn’t have a post for today.  This all happened yesterday morning.  Right as I was planning and packing for a 4-day trip.  Oh dang!  I needed something in a hurry.  Preferably something super-quick to make, because I didn’t have a lot of time to mess around.  Creme brulee to the rescue!

More great creme brulee recipes: 

Chocolate creme brulee is a great make-ahead dessert for those times when you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  And it’s made from stuff you probably already have on hand.  Eggs, sugar, cocoa, cream, chocolate… that plus a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla.  That’s all you need!

Start by stirring the egg yolks together with the sugar and a little cocoa powder.  I prefer regular unsweetened cocoa powder for this, but you could also substitute dark, aka Dutch processed.  It’s purely a matter of taste!  Once you have all that combined, just heat the cream on the stove until steamy, and stir in the chocolate until it’s melty and delicious.  Then slowly stream the hot chocolate/cream into the egg mixture while whisking.  Add the vanilla and transfer it to ramekins or little jars.  I love to use 4-ounce mason jars because they’re SO cute, oven-safe, and they come with a lid!  Here’s a link to the kind I’ve used here.

Once it’s all portioned out, just place the little dishes in a larger baking dish and pour hot water all around.  This is called a water bath or a bain Marie.  It helps to heat the custards more gently so they come out creamy and smooth.  Bake until set around the edges and just a little bit jiggly towards the center.  In my oven this takes about 30 minutes, but I’d suggest checking after 25.  Not all ovens are exactly the same, so yours could be done sooner.  Or they could take a bit longer.  Just keep your eye on it and see.

Right before you’re ready to serve, just top the chocolate creme brulee with a little bit of sugar, and broil it until it’s crunchy-caramelized.  You can do this under the broiler of your oven, or use a brulee torch.  The brulee torch is great because it’s so exact.  Plus it’s fun to use!

Crack the caramelized sugar layer with your spoon, to reveal the lush, creamy chocolate custard below.  Chocolate and caramel are such a classic flavor combination, and the contrast in textures is just incredible!  Chocolate creme brulee is sure to make your day!

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5 stars (1 rating)

Chocolate Creme Brulee

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Chill Time:: 2 hrs

Total Time: 40 mins

Chocolate creme brulee: an impressive dessert that's so simple to make. Just a handful of simple ingredients and you'll be in chocolate heaven!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 8 large egg yolks
• ▢ 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar,, plus more for bruleeing
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ a pinch of kosher salt
• ▢ 1 1/3 cup (317.33 ml) heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 4 ounces (113.4 g) semi sweet chocolate,, chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking dish with a clean kitchen towel.  Set ramekins on top.
• Place the yolks in a mixing bowl, along with the sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk together until combined.
• Heat the cream in a small pot until steaming. 
• Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth. 
• Slowly add the hot cream/chocolate to the egg yolk mixture, while whisking. 
• Stir in the vanilla extract. 
• Transfer the mixture to the ramekins and carefully fill the larger baking dish with very hot water, about 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. 
• Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until just barely set in the middle.
• Cool completely, then top each ramekin with additional sugar and brulee with a torch or under the broiler.  Serve immediately.

Notes

To make ahead: Cook the custards up to 2 days ahead, and keep refrigerated.  Top with sugar and brulee just before serving. ©Baking a Moment

Calories: 409kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 333mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 198mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 1135IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

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