from our chocolate recipe collection

Bittersweet Chocolate Creme Brulee

Recipe by: Nick Malgieri

From: Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers

Yield: 8 generous servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 egg yolks

Method

Set rack at middle level of oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Set 8 shallow, individual gratin dishes or ramekins inside a roasting pan. (You can substitute a 2-quart gratin dish or any other flat baking dish.)

While oven is heating, bring cream and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a non-reactive pan. Remove from heat, add chocolate and let stand 3 minutes to melt. Whisk until smooth.

Whisk yolks in a bowl, then whisk in chocolate mixture. Strain into a bowl or 2-quart measuring cup, then pour or ladle into gratin dishes.

Place roasting pan with gratin dishes on oven rack. Add warm water to the roasting pan to about half the depth of the gratin dishes. Bake 1 hour or until set and a thin knife or toothpick inserted in the center of a custard comes out clean. Remove gratin dishes from roasting pan and refrigerate.

Before serving, blot any moisture from top of chilled custards. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup sugar, using 1 tablespoon per custard. Place under preheated broiler or use blow torch or salamander to caramelize.

Sugar will melt, then brown. Immediately remove from heat; topping can burn easily. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for several hours.

PER SERVING: calories; g fat ( percent calories from fat); g saturated fat; mg cholesterol; g protein; g carbohydrate; g sugar; g fiber; mg sodium; mg calcium.