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| Chocolate Pot du Creme Brûlée with Butterscotch Topping |
Sometimes, I need a sweet treat.
The days seemed to be running together and the only thing
that set them apart were my hubby’s split pants, the furnace malfunction, and
listening to him hungrily sample a tin of sardines the cats got from my Mom for
Christmas – I’m not going to forget that anytime soon.
Farmers? We work too
hard for too long in marathon stretches.
Days off are rare, vacations few and far between – so I need
to get the happy on when and where I can.
I love doggie kisses (currently living cat-full and
pup-less); watching tiny Internet ponies while the mail loads; having old black-and-white
Godzilla movies play in the background while I work. Simple things.
I also enjoy the anticipation of trying something new, and I
recently purchased a kitchen blowtorch. *
This recipe looked just right for the task. It turned pantry ingredients into something decadent
and extraordinary, and didn’t take long.
It’s a dessert to be remembered - a silky smooth, chocolaty
custard that brought out just the right amount of smile.
* (Next new things: making cotton candy, using a
cowboy-style Dutch oven, and trying pressure cooking for the third time. Times #1 and #2? It’s too soon to share the failures.)
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| Creme Brûlée with Kitchen Torch |
The days seemed to be running together and the only thing
that set them apart were my hubby’s split pants, the furnace malfunction, and
listening to him hungrily sample a tin of sardines the cats got from my Mom for
Christmas – I’m not going to forget that anytime soon.
Farmers? We work too
hard for too long in marathon stretches.
Days off are rare, vacations few and far between – so I need
to get the happy on when and where I can.
I love doggie kisses (currently living cat-full and
pup-less); watching tiny Internet ponies while the mail loads; having old black-and-white
Godzilla movies play in the background while I work. Simple things.
I also enjoy the anticipation of trying something new, and I
recently purchased a kitchen blowtorch. *
This recipe looked just right for the task. It turned pantry ingredients into something decadent
and extraordinary, and didn’t take long.
It’s a dessert to be remembered - a silky smooth, chocolaty
custard that brought out just the right amount of smile.
* (Next new things: making cotton candy, using a
cowboy-style Dutch oven, and trying pressure cooking for the third time. Times #1 and #2? It’s too soon to share the failures.)
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| Chocolate Pot de Creme |
Adapted from a recipe by Anne Thornton (Food Network)
Makes 4-6 servings
2.5 oz. Bittersweet or Milk Chocolate Chips (I used both)
1 1/8 Cups Heavy Cream
3 Egg Yolks
1/8 Cup Liquid Honey
2 TBS Cointreau (or ½ TB fresh orange zest)
Optional: 6-8 Butterscotch
Hard Candies (or white sugar)
Special Equipment: Kitchen Blowtorch
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325f.
Arrange 4-6 ramekins in a roasting pan.
Place cream and chocolate In microwave, power on high 30-45
seconds, until chocolate begins to melt.
Whisk until smooth. Cool to just warm.
Whisk yolks and honey in a large bowl.
Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture and stir until the
ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the custard equally between the ramekins. Place in oven.
Add water to the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake until just set around the edges, but still soft in the
center (35-40 minutes).
Remove ramekins from water.
Refrigerate until cold.
Optional, for serving – crush candies and sprinkle over
the custards. Heat with torch until melted. (White sugar may be used instead of candy.)
