Description
This indulgent Chocolate Crème Brûlée recipe combines the classic creamy custard with a rich chocolate twist, finished with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. Smooth, silky, and decadently chocolatey, it’s an elegant dessert sure to impress. The recipe involves a gentle water bath baking technique to achieve the custard’s delicate texture, followed by caramelizing sugar on top to create the signature crisp topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard
- 6 egg yolks (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/3 cup fine sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the custards.
- Prepare Ramekins: Place six 7 to 8-ounce ramekins into a large roasting pan, which will be used for the water bath.
- Whisk Eggs and Sugar: In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk thoroughly, scraping the sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
- Add Cocoa Powder: Incorporate the sifted cocoa powder into the egg mixture. Whisk again until fully combined and smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Heat Cream and Melt Chocolate: In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat, stirring until it’s hot and just simmering—do not let it boil. Remove from heat, then pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted, smooth, and shiny. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Mixtures: Using a mixer at low speed, gradually blend the chocolate/cream mixture into the egg and cocoa mixture. Add the cream slowly, especially at first, to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Remove Foam: Use a spoon to carefully remove any foam that has formed on top of the custard mixture for a smooth texture.
- Fill Ramekins: Pour the custard evenly into the prepared ramekins.
- Add Water Bath: Pour hot water into the roasting pan around the ramekins until it reaches halfway up their sides. This water bath ensures gentle, even baking.
- Bake Custards: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. The custard is done when it is set but still jiggles slightly in the center.
- Cool and Chill: Remove the pan from the oven and let the custards cool in the water bath. Once cooled, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.
- Caramelize Sugar: Before serving, let the chilled custards sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of fine sugar evenly on top of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it forms a crisp, golden-brown crust.
- Alternate Broiling Method: If you don’t have a torch, place the ramekins under a broiler to melt and caramelize the sugar, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Serve: Allow the caramelized custards to rest for 10 minutes to let the topping harden before serving. Enjoy this rich and elegant dessert!
Notes
- Make sure the heavy cream is hot but not boiling to avoid curdling the chocolate.
- Use room temperature egg yolks to help ensure a smooth custard texture.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, broiling is a fine alternative, just watch closely.
- For best results, sift cocoa powder to avoid lumps in the custard.
- Be gentle when mixing the chocolate mixture into the eggs to prevent cooking the eggs prematurely.
- When baking, the water bath prevents the custard from cracking and keeps it creamy.
- Let the custards chill thoroughly for at least 2 hours; this helps set the texture before caramelizing the top.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: chocolate creme brulee, chocolate custard dessert, baked custard, classic french dessert, creme brulee recipe, chocolate dessert
