Sunday Sweets: Chocolate Creme Brulee with Hazelnut Praline

So this was new for me. I have never made Creme Brulee, let alone Chocolate Creme Brulee. This dessert was at my husbands request. Sometimes the things we do for love turn out to be the best things we possibly could have done.

I thought this dessert was doomed from the very beginning for 3 reasons

1. Creme Brulee
Here is something about me - I don't like custard. Do you chew it? Do you suck it? Is it solid? Is it liquid? It's just all kinds of wrong on texture for me. Creme Brulee is the ultimate custard dessert and I hate it. There is one Creme Brulee I remember positively, it was at a very expensive restaurant in the middle of Paris.....and I would judge it "okay". 

2. Dark Chocolate
Don't get me wrong, I like dark chocolate, but I like the kind of dark chocolate that is about 40% dark. Who seriously enjoys that 85% stuff? It is so not for me. If I'm going to be eating chocolate I expect my mouth to be filled with lingering sugary sweetness not tangy, over riding bitterness. To avoid this I used Cadbury's "Original Old Gold". It is the perfect combo of bitter and sweet and makes me feel a little bit like I'm on trend with the whole "dark chocolate" thing....even though I know I'm totally not and never will be.  

3. 24 Hours in advance 
Seriously, who the heck thinks about dessert 24 hours in advance? Okay, I do....but that's probably only because I think about dessert like all day every day. It is all I think about. I think about what dessert I will eat this week. What dessert I will eat next week. What desserts I will eat at Christmas. What dessert I will eat on my birthday. My life is mostly about dessert. However, when it actually comes to making one, I am more of a "here and now" kind of person. So, lucky I thought about this ahead of time and had the common sense to read the recipe a day in advance otherwise this dessert may not have even happened. 

Chocolate Creme Brulee with Hazelnut Praline 
310ml thickened cream
250 ml milk
200 grams dark chocolate
6 egg yolks*
1/3 cup caster sugar
55grams hazelnuts
1/3 cup caster sugar (extra)
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and get everything ready in advance. Combine the cream, milk and chocolate in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir continually until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth then remove from the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar until thick and light in colour. Slowly whisk the chocolate mixture in to the egg mixture.

Line a roasting pan with a tea towel (I know, weird right, just go with it - we'll talk about it later). Add the ramekins and pour the chocolate mixture into the ramekins until they are about 3/4 full. Pour boiling water around the ramekins until it reaches about half way up the sides.

Carefully place the filled baking tray into the oven and bake for about 65 minutes until just set. Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the water to cool. It is important to do this fairly quickly otherwise they will continue to cook in the hot water.

Allow the Creme Brulee to cool on the bench for a few hours then put cling wrap over the top and refrigerate over night.

Okay the tea towel thing - never heard of this before. I did one batch with a tea towel and one without. The one with was smooth, creamy and delicious. The one without came out all cracked and bubbly. Coincidence? Act of oven gods? Just be smart about it and don't set you tea towel on fire.

Now, you could just leave it at that - seriously, it will taste amazing at this point. However, a Hazelnut Praline is a nice addition.

Hazelnut Praline
55 grams hazelnuts
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Tip the hazelnuts onto a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins (they mostly come off super easy!) Then deposit the nuts back onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

In a small saucepan combine the sugar and the water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar totally dissolves (about 5 minutes - don't rush). Then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Cook without stirring for about 4 minutes until golden brown. While cooking brush down the insides of the saucepan with a pastry brush and a small amount of water. Once the mixture is a dark golden brown (not burnt!), quickly (and carefully) tip over the hazelnuts.

Leave the covered hazelnuts for about 10 - 15 minutes to cool and set. Break the hazelnut toffee into chunks and place into a food processor or blender. Blend until coarsely crushed. Sprinkle toffee crush on top of the Chocolate Creme Brulee and serve. OR place under the grill for about 2 minutes until the toffee caramelises. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Whew....there you go. It tastes like the richest, creamiest smoothest chocolate mouse you will
ever eat.

*Did you know you can actually freeze egg whites? Pop them in a sealed container, date them and pop them in the freezer. They whip up beautifully for any kind of meringue related desserts or a healthy egg white omelette if you're that way inclined.