Discovering the Flame

As I posted a little while ago, it was my birthday about a week ago and I got lots of new baking things which was pretty awesome! One of these things was a handheld blowtorch. Unfortunately the first one leaked-luckily Dad filled it up and he noticed, if it had been me that would have been an accident waiting to happen! But after I got the second one I couldn't wait any longer to use it and I'd already found the perfect recipe so my family were pretty keen on me making dessert for them! The custard was really smooth and chocolate-y and the top was the perfect contrast of caramelised sugar. I used too much at first, another Martha Stewart recipe and she recommended 1T of sugar on each... Well after about 5 minutes of trying to melt the sugar I figured out that was far too much... 1t would be far more accurate. So there are only two in the picture because the others were a bit ugly. But they still taste great and you don't have to have a blowtorch to make them, an oven works too. :)

Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:
2 cups cream

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

75g chocolate bits (about 1/2 cup)

5 large egg yolks

4t sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 120°C. Heat cream and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and the cream just begins to simmer. Add chocolate, and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk remaining 3T sugar with the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly pour cream mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Strain custard through a fine sieve. Pour custard into four ramekins. Transfer ramekins to a roasting pan, and fill pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Carefully remove from water, and let custards cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top each with 1t sugar. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 8-10cm from surface of custard. Move flame back and forth until surface is caramelized. Alternatively, broil custards on top rack in the oven until caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes.