Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Here’s a grown-up version of crème brûlée in a full-flavored recipe with chocolate and a touch of whisky.

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F.
2. Scrub the orange, then rub the peel well with the sugar cubes to obtain the maximum of essential oils.
3. Place the sugar in a glass, pour the whisky over top and dissolve.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
5. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla bean. Stir until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse until needed.
6. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and powdered sugar until light and pale.
7. Once the chocolate is melted, pour in the whisky and mix well.
8. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and blend in the chocolate mixture.
9. Return the saucepan to low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
10. Slowly drizzle the mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly without making the mixture foam.
11. Pour the mixture into ramekins to reach 1.5 cm.
12. Place in a shallow pan, add boiling water to the pan and place onto the lower rack of the oven.
13. Cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 120°C / 150°F and cook 30-35 minutes longer until the custard is set.
14. Remove the ramekins from the pan and let cool.

Finishing

1. Sprinkle the surface with a layer of brown sugar.
2. Place the ramekins on the oven rack and place until the broiler. Caramelize for 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat intensity.
3. Remove from the oven and garnish each crème brûlée with a skinned orange segment and some orange zest. Serve hot.