John Hamstra, pastry chef at Murphy's in Atlanta, provides the recipe for this delicious custard, subtly flavored with white chocolate. The custard is baked in a water bath until firm but still quivering, and solidifies while chilling. It is topped with granulated sugar, which is caramelized with a kitchen torch. You can also use a broiler to caramelize the sugar; just watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
Hamstra adds, "At Murphy's we use Belgian chocolate, but any other chocolate will do."
Hands on time: 2 hours and 15 minutes Total time: 2 hours and 28 minutes Serves: 9
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the sugar from burning.
Place chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until all the chocolate melts. Slowly, add the warm cream mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly. Make sure that the liquid is not too hot before you add it or the yolks will cook too quickly. Pour mixture through a fine strainer.
Carefully fill 6-ounce ramekins with the mixture to just under the rim. Place the ramekins in a baking pan. Fill the pan halfway with warm water. Bake for about 45 minutes or until just set. The custard should jiggle slightly when shaken.
Cool in the refrigerator for two or more hours. Sprinkle with sugar to coat the top, and caramelize the sugar with a hand-held kitchen torch until brown and bubbly.
Nutrition:
Per serving: 577 calories (percent of calories from fat, 75), 5 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 50 grams fat, 312 milligrams cholesterol, 49 milligrams sodium.
