SPICY CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE RECIPE

To heat up the night, why not try this spicy chocolate creme brulee for Valentine's Day or any other day of the year.

3 cups whipping cream
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried ancho chili* with seeds, stemmed, chopped
1/3 cup plus 6 teaspoons granulated white sugar
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 4 ingredients and 1/3 cup sugar in heavy large saucepan and bring to a slight boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Let the mixture steep for 3 minutes and strain.
2. Whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Divide custard among eight 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins.
3. Place cups in heavy large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until almost set in center, about 35 minutes. Remove cups from water and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. To serve, uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place paper towel on surface to soak up moisture. Mix remaining 6 teaspoons sugar and ground cinnamon in small bowl.
Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon of the sugar mixture. Tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage.
5. Ignite the torch and caramelize the sugar. If you do not have a torch, preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over custards. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, watching carefully and turning often, about 2 minutes. Can be made 1 hour ahead. Refrigerate. Transfer to plates and serve. Makes 8 servings.

LEMON CREME BRULEE RECIPE

A straightforward and unpretentious creation that is so simple, so rich, so praised with a twist. Watch the video to learn the basic technique for making creme brulee. If you like to make traditional creme brulee, omit the grated lemon. | Video

3 cups whipping cream
5 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon turbinado sugar such as Sugar in the Raw brand

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange eight 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan.
2. Combine cream and lemon peel in heavy small saucepan and bring to simmer. Whisk sugar and yolks in large bowl until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture, then vanilla and salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Strain custard, then divide among cups.
3. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until just set in center, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from water bath; chill uncovered until firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
4. Set broiler rack so that custard tops will be 1-1/2 to 2 inches from heat and change oven setting to broil. Alternatively, have ready a blowtorch. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the creme brulee and heat under broiler until sugar is melted and caramelized.

CREME BRULEE FOR 2 RECIPE

Crème brûlée (French for “burnt cream”; pronounced “krehm broo-LAY”) is a dessert consisting of a rich custard topped with a thin layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a grill, a torch or other intense heat source. Creme Brulee is served cold in individual ramekins. | Video

1 cup heavy cream , chilled
2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 additional teaspoon
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – 4 teaspoons granulated sugar or Demerara sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees F. Arrange two 4- to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) in a baking pan. In the meantime, boil water.
2. Combine 1 cup cream, sugar, and salt in small saucepan and bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium-low heat, stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
3. Whisk yolks in medium bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk in vanilla extract and about 1/4 cup cream mixture into yolks until combined; repeat with another 1/4 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until thoroughly combined. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and discard solids in strainer. Ladle the mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
4. Carefully place baking pan with ramekins on oven rack; pour the boiling water into the pan, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, until water reaches two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake until centers of custards are just barely set, about 30 to 40 minutes. Check 5 minutes before the recommended time.
5. Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover the creme brulee tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
6. Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, pat lightly with a paper towel on the surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar , tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. If you don’t have a torch, place under the broiler until sugar caramelize. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve.