Coffee Crème Brulee with chocolate, vanilla and chilli

Preparation

1. 1

   Pour cold water over the gelatine leaves to cover, allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften.

2. 2

   Place egg yolks, sugar and half the chilli powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until mixture turns pale yellow and becomes very creamy.

3. 3

   Combine the 2 freshly brewed L’OR Colombia espressos and the heavy cream in a saucepan over high heat, add the vanilla bean and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove pan from heat and slowly add the warm vanilla, coffee and cream to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to blend. Now, pour it all back into the saucepan, put the pan on medium-low heat and, whisking constantly, cook for 1-2 minutes until the custard just begins to simmer.

4. 4

   Immediately take the pan from the heat, use your hand to squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves and the whisk the gelatine into the custard. Next, add the chopped chocolate and whisk again until smooth and fully incorporated. Now, add the other 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder (or to taste).

5. 5

   Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and pour into 6 small, heat-proof custard cups or ramekins (about ½ cup per ramekin). Now, just pop your custards into the fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Just one more step and your Coffee Crème Brûlée will be ready!

6. 6

   When you’re ready to serve your dessert, sprinkle some of the reserved caster sugar over the top of each custard; if necessary, shake gently side-to-side to even out the layer of sugar. If you have a kitchen blow torch*, use it to melt the sugar and create the iconic, crunchy caramel layer. Once the sugar melts, it will take just a few minutes to harden.