Tuxedo Crème Brûlée

5 from 7 votes

Tuxedo Crème Brûlée pairs chocolate ganache, custard, and caramelized sugar, topped with berries and chocolate curls.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Chilling Time3

Total Time3 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: tuxedo creme brulee

Servings: (5-ounce) ramekins

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.60

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache Layer

6 ounces chocolate milk, dark, or semi-sweet—whatever you prefer!
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Top Layer

1 full vanilla bean I like Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans; or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks must be at room temperature
3/4 cup superfine sugar divided
6 cups water
Fresh berries optional, for serving

US - Metric

Instructions

For the chocolate ganache:

Coarsely chop the chocolate. In a medium pan over medium heat, add the cream and bring to just before a boil (don’t boil). Reduce heat to the lowest temperature. Add chocolate and salt and whisk to combine until chocolate has melted and the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Remove from heat.
Divide chocolate ganache evenly among all 6 ramekins so they are a little less than 1/4 of the way full. Place the ramekins in the freezer and freeze 1 hour.

For the custard layer:

Split the vanilla bean down the center. Scrape out all the seeds and place in a large bowl. Take the vanilla bean pod and place it in a small pot with salt and heavy cream.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat heavy cream mixture just until the cream is simmering. Do not boil! Remove from stovetop and set aside to slightly cool. Remove the vanilla bean pod. (If using vanilla extract, stir it in here.)
In the bowl with the vanilla bean seeds, add the egg yolks (I like to save the whites for omelets!) and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until the mixture is light, about 2–3 minutes. Meanwhile, place 6 cups water in a large pot and heat to boiling.
Add about 1/4 of the cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Pour the (now-tempered) egg and sugar mixture into the remaining heavy cream mixture. Stir until combined.
Remove the chocolate-filled ramekins from freezer and place them in a metal 9x13 baking pan. Pour prepared mixture evenly into ramekins. (You should use all the mixture among the 6 dishes.)
Fill baking pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 30–35 minutes or until centers are barely set (very slight jiggle). Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate 3–4 hours before serving. These can be refrigerated 4–5 days before use.
When ready to serve, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup superfine sugar on top of the custards. I find it helpful to use a little more sugar than needed to swirl the dish around and make sure the top is evenly coated with sugar (then just pour the extra sugar onto the next ramekin). Use a kitchen torch to heat the tops until the sugar melts and browns (or even slightly blackens) a bit. Top with fresh berries and enjoy immediately.
Alternatively, to use your oven, move the oven rack to the top position and heat oven to a high broil. Once oven is heated, add the custards topped with superfine sugar to a tray. Place tray on the top shelf. It only takes 1–3 minutes, so watch closely to avoid burned crèmes brûlées.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover Tuxedo Crème Brûlée in the fridge, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. For best texture, caramelize the sugar topping just before serving.

Nutrition