Chocolate Cremeux Recipe
This rich and silky Chocolate Cremeux is a luscious French dessert perfect for chocolate lovers. Made with a creamy custard base infused with dark chocolate, it is smooth, intensely chocolaty, and elegantly simple. The dessert requires gentle stovetop cooking and chilling for a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, ideal for serving on its own or as a decadent component in larger dessert creations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Custard Base
- ¾ cup full-fat milk (180ml)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (180ml)
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar (65g / 2.3oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
Chocolate
- 200 g dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids), finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the milk and cream: Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Heat while stirring occasionally until bubbles just begin to appear around the edges, indicating the mixture is scalding but not boiling.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar: While the milk and cream heat, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl using a balloon whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and lightened in color.
- Temper the eggs: Slowly drizzle the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg yolks while constantly whisking to prevent curdling. Set the bowl on a damp tea towel to keep it steady. Once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook the custard: Gently heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula for 10-15 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, or when it reaches approximately 82°C (180°F) on a candy thermometer. Do not let it boil.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla: Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract if using.
- Combine with chocolate: Immediately pour the hot custard over the finely chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for about a minute to soften the chocolate, then stir until smooth and fully combined.
- Emulsify (optional): For a silkier texture, use an immersion blender to pulse the mixture a few times, keeping the blade submerged to avoid incorporating air and creating bubbles.
- Chill the cremeux: Transfer the mixture into a wide, shallow dish or leave it in the bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days before serving.
- Serve and enjoy: Once chilled, serve the chocolate cremeux on its own or use it as a component in other desserts. Enjoy its smooth, rich texture and intense chocolate flavor.
Notes
- Use good quality dark chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids for the best flavor and texture.
- Do not allow the custard to boil during cooking; this prevents curdling and ensures a smooth texture.
- Whisking constantly while adding hot milk and while cooking the custard is crucial to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Chilling time is important to achieve the proper set and develop flavor; do not shorten chilling time.
- The optional immersion blender step improves smoothness but should be done gently to avoid incorporating air.
- The cremeux can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keywords: Chocolate Cremeux, French dessert, chocolate custard, creamy chocolate dessert, stovetop custard
Find it online: https://foodarohub.com/chocolate-cremeux-recipe/
