Chocolate Espresso Creme Brulee

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 cups whipping cream
• 1/3 cup whole espresso beans
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla beans or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

Recipe

• 1 in a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups of cream, espresso beans and sugar. if using the vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise; scrape out vanilla seeds. add scraped pod and seeds to cream mixture. (if using vanilla extract, it will be added later.).
• 2 heat mixture until small bubbles form around edge of pan. remove from heat; cover and let steep 30-40 min or until cream has taken on a good coffee flavor.
• 3 heat the oven to 400ºf.
• 4 place 8 (1/2-3/4 c.) ramekins in shallow roasting pan.
• 5 place chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup cream in metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
• 6 in a large bowl, beat egg yolks until well blended. strain espresso-cream mixture slowly into egg yolks, whisking constantly to combine. if using vanilla extract, stir into custard now.
• 7 gradually whisk cream mixture into melted chocolate and then strain through a fine strainer.
• 8 pour custard into ramekins. create a water bath - add enough boiling water to roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. cover pan securely with foil.
• 9 bake 50-60 min or until custards are set but still quivery like gelatin.
• 10 remove ramekins with tongs from the hot water; cool on wire rack 30-40 minute or until room temperature. cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• 11 place oven rack 8 inches from broiler. push the brown sugar through strainer over each custard, allowing about 2 teaspoons per custard.
• 12 using fingers, gently spread brown sugar to distribute evenly. place ramekins in the shallow roasting pan again and surround with ice cubes.
• 13 broil 3-6 min or until brown sugar melts and caramelizes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
• 14 cool to room temperature. store in refrigerator - if made more than 4 hours ahead, topping will begin to soften and will no longer be crisp -- so do this last.