Best Chocolate Creme Caramel Recipes

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL-CREME CANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch square cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the melted butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla and 1/2 cup water together in another bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Discard the parchment paper and flip the cakes right side up again. Let the cakes cool completely.
• Make the caramel creme: Heat 1/2 cup sugar in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it turns dark amber in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream (mixture will bubble up). When the bubbles subside, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the salt and stir until both dissolve in the caramel. Scrape the caramel into the bowl of a food processor and let cool completely.
• Combine the gelatin with 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Heat the gelatin in the microwave until it melts completely, about 10 seconds, stirring to dissolve. Add the gelatin mixture, cream cheese and sour cream to the food processor and process until smooth. Scrape the caramel creme filling into a bowl and refrigerate, checking every 5 minutes, until it is just thick enough to spread, 5 to 15 minutes. (Do not let the filling firm up too much.) Before layering the cake, give the mixture a good whisking to aerate it slightly. This will make for a lighter texture.
• Place one cake on a cake stand and pile the caramel filling in the center, spreading it in a thick layer almost to the edge. Top with the remaining cake, aligning the layers directly on top of each other so the cake does not lean. Refrigerate the assembled cake for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, shaking the pan gently to submerge it. Allow the pan to stand, off the heat, for 3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the ganache until smooth, then refrigerate until it is just thick enough to spread (like mayonnaise), about 15 minutes. (Do not let the ganache harden too much.)
• Stir the ganache again and scoop it on top of the cake, spreading it over the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache is set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

JAMAICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH CARAMEL CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a microwave, melt 2/3 cup chocolate chunks; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in sweet potatoes, cooled chocolate, ginger and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape dough into 3/4-in. balls; place 2-1/2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in confectioners' sugar. Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Meanwhile, mix filling ingredients until smooth. Spread filling on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies., For chocolate coating, microwave remaining chocolate chunks; stir until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate or drizzle chocolate over the top of cookies; let stand until set. Store between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Have it and four 6-to-8-ounce ramekins at hand. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the bottom of a small skillet or saucepan, preferably nonstick, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When you see the sugar start to melt around the edges, begin stirring it in small circles, making your way around the edges and then going deeper into the center of the pan, until all the sugar is melted, blended, bubbling and, most important, a medium amber color; stay with the caramel, because the color changes in seconds. You can check the color by dropping a bit on a white plate. As soon as it's the right color, pull the pan from the heat and, being very, very careful (caramel is ferociously hot and sticky), divide it among the ramekins. Hold the ramekins by their tops and swirl to coat the bottoms with caramel. You'll never get the caramel perfectly even, and that will never matter. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan.
• Put the milk and the reserved 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot milk over it. Let stand for about 5 minutes to melt.
• Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk them for about 1 minute; they'll pale a bit. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate and milk together until smooth. Then, stirring the eggs without stopping, gradually pour the hot chocolate milk over the eggs and stir until blended. You'll have bubbles on top of the creme, don't worry: You're going to turn the custards over and no one will ever see the bottoms.
• Divide the custard among the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully slide the pan into the oven.
• Bake the custards for 35 to 45 minutes, or until they are firm around the edges and just jiggly in the center. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully place the ramekins on a cooling rack. Leave the ramekins at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then transfer them to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours, or until they are thoroughly cold, before serving. (You can make these 1 day ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.)
• When you're ready to serve, run a table knife around the edges of the ramekins, then turn the custards over onto small plates with raised rims. You might have to shake the ramekins a little or tap them gently against the plate to cajole the custards to come out, but fear not -- they won't stick.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL TART WITH DRUNKEN RASPBERRIES AND VANILLA CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks; process until moist clumps form. Add cocoa nibs; blend in using on/off turns. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack while preparing caramel filling.
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until mixture is deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add butter and stir over low heat until caramel is completely smooth. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; stir in salt. Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm caramel into crust. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 45 minutes.
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Let stand until slightly cooled but still pourable, about 10 minutes. Pour ganache evenly over caramel filling. Refrigerate tart uncovered until chocolate is firm, about 2 hours. do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Brush top of tart with gold dust, if desired. Cut tart into thin slices. Arrange 1 slice on each plate. Spoon berries and crème fraîche alongside.
• *Bits of shelled roasted cocoa beans; available at many specialty foods stores or from chocosphere.com.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Lightly grease 6 oven proof ramekins.
• Place water and 3/4 cup sugar in a microwave proof bowl and heat on high, stirring every 60 seconds until sugar is dissolved.
• Continue to heat on high until mixture starts to turn golden.
• Do not over cook.
• Pour toffee quickly into ramekins.
• Put ramekins in a baking dish.
• Pre heat oven to 160oC.
• Combine milk and cream in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.
• Stir until mixture is almost to boiling point.
• Turn off heat and add chocolate.
• Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Beat eggs, extra sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
• Pour in the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly.
• Pour custard into ramekins.
• Pour enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of dishes.
• Cook, uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
• Remove ramekins from water and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, run a knife around the edge of ramekin and turn creme caramel out on to a saucer.
• Serve with strawberries or peaches.

JAMAICAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH CARAMEL CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a microwave, melt 2/3 cup chocolate chunks; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in sweet potatoes, cooled chocolate, ginger and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape dough into 3/4-in. balls; place 2-1/2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in confectioners' sugar. Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese, dulce de leche, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, allspice and remaining salt until smooth. Spread filling on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. For chocolate coating, microwave remaining chocolate chunks; stir until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate; let stand until set. Store between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.