Chocolate Crème Caramel

Cook Time 40 minutes plus overnight chilling

Servings 4

Ingredients

500ml milk

2 whole eggs and 2 yolks

100g caster sugar

75g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

Caramel

100g sugar

1 tbsp of water

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Place the milk in a saucepan and add vanilla seeds and pod. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod. Stir in the chocolate pieces and allow to completely melt in.

In a bowl, whisk the whole eggs and yolks together with the sugar until the mixture becomes pale and thickens.

Whisk in the chocolate milk mixture into the eggs and with a large spoon remove the foam from the top (so it does not burn). Set aside while making the caramel. 

Place the sugar in a small saucepan with the water over medium heat. Once the sugar starts to melt and become golden, remove the pan from the heat immediately. Pour the caramel into 4 x 200ml (approx.) small ramequins and swirl to coat the base. Pour in the chocolate custard mixture.

Place the ramekins into a baking dish filled halfway up with hot water and bake for 35 minutes or until just set.

To ensure that the custard is cooked, insert a small sharp knife into the centre and if it comes out clean, it is cooked.

Remove from the water, and let it cool then refrigerate overnight.

To serve, run a small sharp knife around the edges of the ramekins and then carefully invert the crème caramels onto plates.