Among the many things Siena College President Brother Ed Coughlin is known for—from his steadfast belief in social responsibility to his passion for higher education—it's his impressive kitchen skills that you'll hear a lot about this time of year. And on that note, get ready to start your ovens.
For the first time ever on the blog, we thought we'd share with you one of Br. Ed's favorite recipes to make for the holidays. (After all, what humanizes a respected professional more than his love of chocolate?) He chose the one below, a recipe he found in this Buffalo News article by Andrew Z. Galarneau; reprinted with permission! Bon appétit!
Chocolate Creme Brulee
1 quart heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar
1/2 cup red raspberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 325.
Put cream in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, and add chocolate. Stir until chocolate is fully melted.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.
Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the turbinado sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar to form a crispy top. (The second best way to brulee is sliding sugared custards under a broiler. Watch them carefully to avoid overly burning the sugar, and rotate dishes if they're browning unevenly.)
Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with raspberries.
Got a favorite holiday dessert recipe of your own? Tweet it to us @SienaCollege. We'll share it with Br. Ed ;)
