Chocolate Pots De Creme Brulee

Recipe adapted from Caryn Stabinsky, Elm Restaurant, New Canaan, CT. Cooking time includes overnight refrigeration.

• Ready In: 13 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 4 oz. ramekins

Ingredients

• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3  large  egg yolks
• 1  cup heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1⁄2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1⁄4 cup coffee, hot
• 1  pinch kosher salt

Directions

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla-bean pod and seeds and bring to a rapid boil.
3. Slowly pour the hot-cream mixture into the eggs, whisking to combine. Over the bowl of chocolate, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (discard the vanilla pod). Gently whisk in the water and salt until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate overnight. To serve, sprinkle each pots de creme with 1 tablespoon of the remaining granulated sugar and use a torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately. (If you don't have a kitchen torch, use the broiler: Adjust the oven rack to the highest position and heat the broiler to high. Place the sugar-sprinkled pots de crème on a rimmed sheet pan and set under the broiler until the sugar is browned, turning the sheet pan midway through broiling. Note: Keep an eye on the pots de crème as the sugar can burn quickly.).