cinnamon chocolate creme brûlée

Every time I hit the drive-thru at the local Starbucks I get slapped in the face with a picture of their new Cinnamon Chocolate ‘Bread’.

That sh*t is not bread. It’s cake. Delicious. Cake.

That ‘bread’ was the inspiration for this Cinnamon Chocolate Creme Brûlée. And, as if that’s not reason enough to cheer, I got to bust out the brûlée torch and channel my inner Johnny Storm. AKA, The Human Torch.

Flame on!

Cinnamon Chocolate Creme Brûlée
(makes 4 servings)

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2  cup good quality chopped milk chocolate (I may have used Finley’s Chocolate Rabbit from Easter for this. Shhhh, don’t tell him.)
5 egg yolks

For topping:
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon sticks. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the cream just begins to boil. Reduce heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 3 tbsp sugar. Temper the egg mixture by whisking in a few spoonfuls of the hot cream/chocolate then pour that into the remaining cream/chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout.

Arrange four 4-ounce ramekins in a glass baking dish. Pour the custard into the ramekins, filling evenly, then carefully add enough boiling water to the exterior baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (or until the custards are just set.) Carefully remove them from the water and allow them to cool before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for one hour.

To serve, combine the 4 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tbsp on each custard. Hold a small handheld torch 3 – 4 inches from the top of the ramekin and move evenly back and forth until the sugar is caramelized. OR, you can place them on the top rack of the oven set to broil for just 1 – 2 minutes to caramelize the sugar.

I almost didn’t share these with anyone. Part of me wanted to hide them in the laundry room refrigerator, behind the five dozen eggs Jonny bought at Costco last week. Not sure what he was thinking there.

Anyway, I didn’t hide them. I put them right on the top shelf of the kitchen ‘fridge. And, just like driving thru Starbucks, I got slapped in the face with cinnamon chocolate deliciousness every time I opened the door.

But this time, I slapped back. (With a spoon.)

OMFG. SO GOOD.