Tuxedo Crème Brûlée

This variation on classic crème brûlée is based on the dessert at Geoffrey’s in Malibu.

📝 Ingredients

• 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 whole vanilla beans, (sliced lengthwise)
• 2 whole large eggs
• 10 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, (divided)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For the chocolate ganache: ---
2. 2Coarsely chop the chocolate. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cream and bring to just a boil. Add the chocolate and salt and whisk to combine until the chocolate has melted and the mixture becomes smooth and shiny.
3. 3Divide the chocolate ganache among the ramekins so they are filled ¼ of the way full. Place the ramekins in the freezer and freeze for one hour.
4. 4--- For the crème brûlée: ---
5. 5Preheat the oven to 300°F (150ºC).
6. 6In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream and vanilla beans to a simmer. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, 1¼ cups sugar and salt together until well blended. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture and remove the vanilla beans.
7. 7Remove the ramekins from the freezer then divide mixture evenly, filling each ramekin so that it is ¾ of the way full.
8. 8Set the ramekins in a baking dish and pour boiling water so that it’s halfway up ramekins. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven, making sure that the water doesn’t spill into the ramekins.
9. 9Bake until the custard is set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove each ramekin from the pan, and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
10. 10To serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each ramekin of custard. Using a small kitchen blowtorch, slowly torch sugar from about 6” above the custard until it melts and caramelizes. If you hold the torch too close to the sugar it will caramelize too fast and burn. Serve immediately.