Chocolate Macadamia Nut Creme Brulee Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Set 6 (4-ounce) ramekins in a deep baking dish. Put 1 tablespoon of the macadamia nuts into each of the ramekins.
• In a saucepan, stir the cream and sugar over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, add the white chocolate and remove from the heat. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time, continuing to whisk until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins. Place the dish into the oven and then pour water into baking dish until ramekins are 3/4 submerged.
• Bake in preheated oven until custard has set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan and turn oven to broil.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar over each of the ramekins. Place pan under broiler until sugar has melted and caramelized, about 5 minutes.
• Remove ramekins from water bath. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. I prefer to chill these in the fridge before serving however they are just as heavenly served warm.

CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the nuts in a large mixing bowl. Add the corn syrup and stir until evenly coated. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using a wooden spoon, transfer the nuts onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet pan. Do not touch them, as they are extremely hot. Let them cool at room temperature, or if possible, place them in the freezer because the cold nuts will help the chocolate to temper. When completely cooled, break apart any nut clusters that may have formed. Place the cooled nuts in the coating pan or in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add one third of the bittersweet chocolate, one ladleful at a time. If you are using the mixing bowl, fold the nuts until they are thoroughly coated and the chocolate has set. If you do not fold immediately, the chocolate will set and the nuts will stick together. Add another third of the chocolate and fold thoroughly until set. Add the remaining third and fold thoroughly being sure all the nuts are well coated. Separate any clusters of nuts that may have formed. If you serve the nuts as they are, let the chocolate set completely. If you decide to move on to the next step, do not wait for the chocolate to set completely. Add the powdered sugar or cocoa powder and stir until all of the nuts are well coated. If you'd like to coat half of the nuts in powdered sugar and the other half in cocoa powder, start with the powdered sugar. Before serving, place the nuts in a sieve to remove any excess sugar or cocoa powder. The nuts will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Spoon prepared chocolate pudding into ramekins. Sprinkle each with 1 heaping tablespoon turbinado or raw sugar. Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch. Top with raspberries.

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place six (8-ounce) ramekins in a roasting pan large enough to hold them completely flat.
• In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a medium saucepan. Off the heat, add the chocolate and espresso and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Slowly whisk the cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk in the coffee liqueur and vanilla. Transfer to a large measuring cup and pour into the prepared ramekins until full.
• Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough of the hottest tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the custards are set on the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on each custard. With a kitchen blowtorch held one inch from the surface of the creme, heat the sugar until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Makethe creme brulee: Heat creamand 1/4 cup sugar in a smallsaucepan over medium heat,stirring, until sugar dissolvesand the cream just begins tosimmer. Add chocolate, andwhisk until melted and smooth.
• Whisk remaining 3 tablespoonssugar with the egg yolksin a medium bowl. Slowly pourcream mixture into yolk mixture,whisking constantly. Straincustard through a fine sieve.
• Pour custard into four 4-ounceramekins. Transfer ramekins toa roasting pan, and fill pan withenough boiling water to reachhalfway up the sides of ramekins.Bake until custards are justset, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.Carefully remove from water,and let custards cool.
• Assemble the cremes brulees: Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top each with 1 tablespoon sugar. Hold asmall handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of custard. Moveflame back and forth until surface is caramelized. Alternatively, broil custards on top rack untilcaramelized, 1 to 2 minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE W/ MACADAMIA NUTS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
• Preheat oven to 300 F.
• Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tbsp sugar, egg yolks, cream, vanilla, and liqueur.
• Toast macadamia nuts by spreading on a baking sheet and baking for 10-12 minutes, watching to make sure they do not burn.
• Split nuts between 6 ramekins.
• Pour chocolate mixture on top of nuts.
• Place ramekins in a baking dish and fill baking dish with water until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins (DO NOT drip or splash any water into your ramekins).
• CAREFULLY place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until set around the outside and loose in the center.
• Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature while still in the water bath.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
• Just before serving, top with the remaining sugar in a thin layer (you don't have to use all the sugar) and caramelize with a creme brulee torch.
• Allow caramelized sugar to cool and harden (takes less than a minute).

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy pan heat the cream with the vanilla pod until scalding hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the pod and scrape seeds into the cream with the tip of a knife. Break up the chocolate and stir into the cream until melted and smooth.
• Put the egg yolks and icing sugar into a bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until well blended and then stir in chocolate cream. Pour into 4 (8-ounce) creme brulee dishes. Stand in a bain-marie. Bake in the oven 30 minutes until firm. Remove and cool. Chill overnight or for up to 48 hours. Sprinkle caster sugar over the top and put under a hot grill to caramelize. Serve within 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• CUSTARD: Beat together the ingredients, strain and reserve.
• CHOCOLATE MIXTURE: Heat cream to boil, remove and stir in remaining ingredients, keep warm.
• BRULEE TOPPING: Mix together and reserve.
• FINAL PROCEDURE: Preheat oven to 300°F Place Chocolate mix evenly into the bottom of four flat ramequins.
• Slowly pour custard mix over each mold and place onto cookie sheet pan with 1/4 inch water on bottom of pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour until set. Remove and cool.
• To serve, sprinkle sugar evenly over cooked custard and glaze under broiler or touch to burn sugar, warm slightly and serve.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL MACADAMIA NUT TART

Steps:

• For crust:.
• Blend flour, powdered sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 tablespoon ice water and blend just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using lightly floured fingers, press dough firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill crust 1 hour.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until pale golden around edges and sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans; bake until crust is golden and cooked through, about 14 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool crust completely in pan.
• For ganache:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons ganache into 1 corner of small resealable plastic bag and seal; set aside at room temperature for piping. Spread remaining ganache evenly over bottom of crust. Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts evenly over ganache layer in crust. Freeze crust while preparing caramel filling.
• For caramel filling:.
• Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add cream and butter; stir until any caramel bits dissolve and mixture is smooth. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan and bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Boil without stirring until thermometer registers 240°F, about 2 1/2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and salt.
• Remove crust from freezer. Working quickly, pour caramel filling into crust. Gently shake tart pan to allow filling to settle evenly in crust. Cool completely at room temperature, about 3 hours. Remove crust from freezer.
• Place reserved resealable plastic bag with chocolate ganache in microwave and heat in 5-second intervals just until smooth and pourable. Using scissors, cut off very small tip from corner of bag with ganache. Pipe ganache decoratively over caramel filling in crosshatch pattern. Chill until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Bring tart to room temperature before serving.
• Remove sides from tart pan. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMELIZED MACADAMIA NUTS

Steps:

• Place granulated sugar and macadamia nuts in a 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the sugar melts and begins to recrystallize and the nuts become white and coated with sugar, about 12 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a baking sheet, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Separate the nuts, and let cool completely.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a fork, dip the sugared nuts in the melted chocolate, coating completely. Place on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate has set.
• Coat nuts a second time, as in step 2, with chocolate. Refrigerate until set.
• Sift confectioners' sugar over a baking pan. Roll nuts in sugar. Transfer the sugar and the nuts to an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place up to 1 week.