Chocolate Crème Brûlée Valentines (Printable View)

Silky chocolate custard with crisp caramelized sugar topping, ideal for romantic celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk

→ Chocolate

03 - 4 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

→ Eggs

04 - 4 large egg yolks

→ Sweeteners

05 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for custard)
06 - 4 tsp granulated sugar (for topping)

→ Flavorings

07 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
08 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place 4 ramekins (6 oz each) in a deep baking dish.
02 - In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
03 - In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
04 - Gradually pour the warm chocolate cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling.
05 - Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug to ensure a silky texture.
06 - Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins.
07 - Pour hot water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
08 - Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the custards are just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
09 - Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
10 - Just before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each custard. Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch (or under a preheated broiler) until golden and crisp. Allow to cool for 2 minutes, forming a crackly top.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm crackly sugar and cool silky chocolate creates something almost magical
  • It looks impossibly impressive but comes together with mostly hands off time
  • Making it for someone feels like offering them something truly special
02 -
  • Don't skip the straining step because even tiny bits of cooked egg will ruin the silky texture
  • The sugar topping needs to be completely cooled before you break through it or you won't get that satisfying crackle
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl before whisking the yolks to help them thicken faster
  • If you don't have a torch, use your broiler on high but watch it like a hawk because sugar goes from perfect to burned in seconds

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