Sweeten up your Valentine’s date with creme brulee

A good dinner should be followed by a good dessert. On Valentine’s, a chocolate dessert seems to fit in as the right ingredient.

Romantic lore tends to point to chocolate as an aphrodisiac. So a chocolate treat seems to be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

The recipe below has been tested and proved a delicious creamy treat. This is a perfect, make-ahead-of-time dessert that you can finish up right in front of your date with extra flair by using a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar on top.

Your date will love it and be impressed. If you do not have a cooking torch and you are looking for one, I picked mine up at the Kitchen Shop in Mifflinburg. It’s affordable and works great.

Chocolate Crème Brulee
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 5 plus hrs.
Yields: 2-6 oz. servings

Ingredients:
1 ¼ oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 egg yolks
¼ cup white sugar, plus 2 teaspoons-divided
½ c. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Boil several quarts of water in a large pot
3. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt with 20 second cycles on low, stirring between cycles. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler, if you prefer. Set the chocolate to the side to cool slightly once it’s fully melted.
4. Whisk together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar in a medium bowl, once well combined, add the heavy whipping cream, whisk until combined, then add the melted chocolate and whisk well.
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into 2-6 oz. ramekins. Place the ramekins into a baking dish and then using the boiling water, fill the baking dish until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully move the baking dish to the oven, placing in the center rack and baking for 43-44 minutes. The sides will set, but the center will jiggle. Remove from the oven and let the custard cool completely in the baking dish with water before removing them.
6. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 hrs.
7. Just before serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the top of each custard and then using a cooking torch, caramelize the sugar on top. It will brown and harden into a thin crust. Serve immediately and enjoy!