4 egg yolks, room temperature
4 oz white chocolate, chips or broken into small pieces
1/3 cup sugar (plus a couple of tablespoons for later...)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk yolks and 1/3 c. sugar. Put cream in saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Add chocolate. Whisk until melted. Add the cream/chocolate mixture to the egg mixture to the egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour into 4-6 ramekins or small shallow containers. Place in a water bath* and bake for about 45 minutes. They will be set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool. Sprinkle with a dusting of white sugar and either broil for a couple of minutes until the sugar caramelizes or use a brulee or blow torch to crisp the tops until golden brown and crunchy.
*water bath - put the ramekins in a larger dish - I use a lasagna-type pan -and pour water in until about half way up the ramekins. Add more water while cooking if needed but be careful not to go too high because the water boils in the oven and the bubbling water can "jump up" and flood your brulee if you aren't careful!
