Thermomix Chocolate creme Brûlée

Dark Chocolate Crème Brulée - Jon Howe, Lumiere, Cheltenham
Easy, very impressive, and delicious. I found this little gem of a recipe hidden in some website, I made it last night and oh boy! Jon Howe, Chef Proprietor of Lumiere restaurant in Cheltenham, who serves it in individual glass coffee cups with whipped cream piped on top to give the effect of “Hot Chocolate”, which is what he calls it on their menu. They can be made a day ahead if you wish; just add the whipped cream at serving time. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients
560 g double cream
6 large free range egg yolks from eggs at room temperature
85 g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
50 g brandy
150 g good dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, callets or broken into pieces

Method
1. Cook the cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla pod and brandy 18 minutes/80oC/Speed 3 until beginning to thicken. (If eggs are cold, cook 4 to 6 minutes more.)
2. Add the chocolate and mix 3 minutes/Speed 3 or until the mixture is smooth. Pour into glass or china coffee cups or ramekins, cool 20 minutes then chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours. The mixture will thicken as it cools. After the first hour in the fridge any moisture released during the cooling process should have evaporated, so cover each cup with cling film to keep the crèmes from drying out and cracking.

Tip: These can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 36 hours. Top with some lightly whipped cream immediately prior to serving.