Passionfruit Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée: Walking on Mars?
Have you ever imagined what it could be like to walk on Mars? That’s what I found myself thinking as I cracked into this Passionfruit milk chocolate crème brulée. It’s incredible to think that one of the latest finds on the planet is a type of soil that’s used on Earth to grow asparagus. I wonder if I could bring some accompanying hollandaise sauce on an eventual space shuttle birthday adventure?
Could this be like walking on Mars, the red planet?
When I discovered that my astrology planet Mars – named after the Roman God of War – had something to do with a fiery temper and passionate, impulsive behaviour, what could I say? It’s not me, darlings; it’s that red planet again.
One fiery implosion was in my brazen-but-bashful teens, about to burst out of my 80s flying suit like David Banner, via the Incredible Sulk – playing Mars as bass flute in The Planets by Holst with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. It was a low moment. I’d finally been selected First Flute (note: the older I get, the better I was) which meant playing the orchestral flute solos in concerts abroad, on BBC radio… Listen to the opening Mars theme while reading this for ambience. Why was I at the bloomin’ bottom of the flute section, trying to prop up this beast that sounded like the last of the bath water draining? Because I simply had the longest, spindly, sprawling hands to get my fingers over the damn keys! Why couldn’t I be short? Mars was playing outside but it was also calling me from within but I played on. After all, music be the food of love (dixit Shakespeare.)
Moods can quickly change, however, when confronted with a dessert – a milk chocolatey dessert, with explosive fruit to kindle the passion in you, and topped with a crackling, caramel crust that can turn your earth upside down. How can you be mad with rage? Hm. There’s that mad word again. I wonder why the publisher chose that?
Crème Brûlée is one of my favourite recipes to use up egg yolks. (You need the whites to make macarons, in case this is your first time popping in.) Like Amélie Poulain, cracking through the carmelised sugar is one of life’s incredible thrills. Living dangerously, eh? As one of my favourite macarons is chocolate and exotic fruits (see page 89 of the book), I’ve been dying to try the sensation in a crème brûlée.
The classic recipe is on page 124 of the book but I’ve adapted it here to cope with the passionfruit juice and chocolate, cutting back on cream. I strained the seeds from the passionfruits but there’s no need if you prefer the extra crunch. Adding milk chocolate did not make it pretty for the photos, but this is from another planet. The red planet. Grrrrr.
Passionfruit Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Serves 6
8 egg yolks
80g caster sugar
4 passionfruits
400ml (13.5 US fl oz) cream
120g milk chocolate
4 tbsps brown sugar for caramelising
- Preheat oven to 110°C.
- Remove the pulp from the passionfruits and using the back of big spoon, press the pulp through a sieve to remove the seeds.
- Mix yolks and sugar until creamy, then whisk in the passionfruit pulp. Gently heat the cream and milk chocolate in a pan until warm and the chocolate has melted (don’t boil.) Pour over the egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Pour into individual ramekins and place in a bain-marie (a roasting tray filled halfway up with water will suffice) in the oven for about one hour. Leave them to cool, then chill for 2 hours in the fridge.
- Before serving, dust with the brown sugar then caramelise them quickly with a blowtorch or under a hot grill.
Floating upside down on Mars and attacking the Black Hole
To finish off, I tried another version by omitting the milk chocolate in the passionfruit cream. Instead, plop in a lump of dark chocolate just before putting each ramekin in the oven. The result? A surprising, oozing, chocolatey black hole for your guests to float into the Milky Way.
Let’s take that one again but back down to Earth’s angle. Who also loves cracking the caramel with the spoon?
A delicious passion fruit and milk chocolate twist to the classic French dessert, Crème Brûlée
- 8 egg yolks
- 80 g caster sugar (superfine)
- 4 passion fruits
- 400 ml (13.5 US fl oz) whipping cream
- 4 tbsp brown sugar (Cassonade) for caramelising
Preheat oven to 110°C. Remove the pulp from the passion fruits and using the back of big spoon, press the pulp through a sieve to remove the seeds.
- Mix yolks and sugar until creamy, then whisk in the passionfruit pulp. Gently heat the cream and milk chocolate in a pan until warm and the chocolate has melted (don’t boil.) Pour over the egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Pour into individual ramekins and place in a bain-marie (a roasting tray filled halfway up with water will suffice) in the oven for about one hour. Leave them to cool, then chill for 2 hours in the fridge.
- Before serving, dust with the brown sugar then caramelise them quickly with a blowtorch or under a hot grill.
Passionfruit Crème Brûlée with a chocolate centre: omit the milk chocolate in the passionfruit cream. Instead, plop in a lump of dark chocolate just before putting each ramekin in the oven. The result? A surprising, oozing, chocolatey black hole for your guests to float into the Milky Way.
Jill Colonna
Jill Colonna 
I think you missed your calling as a comedienne! Truly, you are cracking me up (just like that caramel topping)! haha! See, I can do it too! 😉 The bathwater draining made me laugh out loud!
Well, dear you’ll be happy to know that I ordered an oven today so I CAN make these beauties (although, I usually make my creme brulees on the stove). I have never tasted a chocolate one, but am quite enamored of the black hole version! I love dark chocolate, and it sounds very enticing! Nice work. And I LOVE cracking the caramel with the spoon! 😉
See, this cracking up business is contagious Christina! So happy you’ll finally have an oven. Cheers to making a cracking black hole crème brûlée in it soon.
This is my favorite blog yet!
I so love the idea of having a creme brulee compared to Mars! The chocolate creme brulee is the “creme de la creme” though… The oozing chocolate, the cracking top… So brill!
Both creme brulees sound absolutely delicious =)
Mmmm I love creme brûlée. It’s not often I see chocolate and passion fruit together. Although there is a cookie company in hawaii that plays with the flavors… But I think I’ll stick with the creme brûlée! Great recipe!
Your posts are always so funny and how you see your desserts (a walk on mars?) is too funny! And your desserts heavenly and this one is no different! Scrumptious and I would so love to taste it. And do you know as much as we love crème brulée I’ve never made one? Oh, Jill, inspire me!
Ohhhh my! I love creme brulee! I think both these versions are fantastic! I particularly like the idea of the chocolate “surprise” in the second one! YUM! Jill, there’s something waiting for you here: http://www.manusmenu.com/rotisserie-potatoes
Merci beaucoup, Manu!
You MUST have a MADELEINE post here!?
am I mad?
Can this be??
How will I ever make the damn$#@! things then..?
xxxcg
Carol, there are SO many recipes I want to share with you all, so little time trying to get on with the next book! Madeleines don’t use egg yolks in particular so that’s why not included yet (after all it’s a macaron site.) In the meantime, why not visit my friend Biren’s site at Roti’n’Rice who posted a lovely recipe for Lavender Madeleines this week. Enjoy!
Wowsa! I can just hear the little ‘tinkle’ the sugar make when you make your first fork attack. So yummy, so passion fruity…who cares about the flute? You’re the First Foodie!
Hehe, Carsley. Thanks. In fact, just back from Paris (rue de Rome – it’s the street of musical instruments) since my poor flute is sick so getting him sorted, repadded, the works.
A friend of mine sent me passion fruits from her garden but haven’t made anything with them yet. I’ve been thinking of making passion fruit curd but now Creme Brûlée sounds better. Although if you’ve got chocolate Macarons with passion fruit filling in your book I may do that. I need to check.
So sorry to ramble – your brûlée sounds heavenly. Looking forward to attempting one or the other of these mentioned.
Have a great day!
Oh, what decisions, Vicki 😉 Why don’t you make the macarons from the book and the crème brûlée to accompany? That sounds so exotic too – passion fruits from the garden! Enjoy.
Jill, i LOVE this flavor combo!!! Definitely something I need to try! Hmmmm…miam-miam-miam creme brulee!
Enjoy, Jen!
I have two friends who are in my bad books at the moment – one who cracked the sugar crust, and the other who downright stole my crime brûlée while I was busy chatting – oh boy if they come within an inch of this lovely version when I make it, there’ll be trouble! It really does look like Mars, Jill, and out of this world 😉
You call these friends, Hester? You’re going to have to get the record straight before making this!
I love creme brulee and the cracking with the spoon of course! It’s probably one of the most common desserts I order when in France. I really have to get myself a blowtorch to make some as my over grill just doesn’t do it right!
Having a blowtorch is hot – although I just about set fire to the table once while trying to carmelise at the table and pouring wine with the other hand. Although the wine would have put out the fire, lol.
I took your advice and played the music while reading this and it and the brulees transported me to another planet. I find creme brulee to be an amazing concoction with the most simple of ingredients combiningg to a taste symphony of Holstian proportions (windaggy enough for you? LOL) Seriously this sound delicious and I love the crack of the breaking caramel too
Holstian proportions? Love it, Mike.
Mmmmmmmm….you knew I’d come running for a chocolate creme brulee, didn’t you??? I just don’t know which one to try first!!!!
Hehe. It’s the chocolate queen, Lizzy! Go for them both. Go on…
OMG!!
Heaven on earth this!
I LURVE anything passion fruit
and I love crustillante or however you spell it..
The French have the best crunchy textures
merci carolg
Yes, the French have a lot to answer for, Carol 😉
What an amazing recipe! So ingenious to combine creme brulee with chocolate :-), this recipe is a “must try!”
It is rather yummy, although not so hot on le look, as you don’t get to see the caramel crust. Although perhaps that’s the charm. Surprise!
What a wonderful creme brulee.It makes me want to lick my screen! I am so glad you shared it with us.
If you’re glad, that makes me happy too.
Mmmm…. sounds delicious, love the Creme brulee, looks super yummy.
Glad it sounds delicious, Irena. Because it is! 😉
Hi Jill! This creme brulee looks wonderful, and what a great way to use up egg yolks! I love the exotic flavor you have given it, so heavenly and I have a feeling I could devour it in no time! Hope you are having a wonderful Spring :)!
Thanks, Amy. Adoring spring even if it’s bringing on the pollen allergies big time in our house, sniff, sniff, achoum.
When I saw the name of the post, I wondered how Mars fit in–I get it! What a gorgeous, vividly flavored creme brulee–definitely out of the ordinary!
Glad you got it. Was kind of a mad shot, eh?
I don’t eat creme brulee often but when I do I certainly enjoy it. Can only imagine how wonderful these flavour combinations are and yes, I love cracking the caramel with a spoon!
I’m like you, Paula. Not often but when I do, it’s the full monty!
This is just one of the many reasons I love you. xx
Golly gosh, you’re making me blush.
Chocolate and passion fruit Creme brûlée? Wow that is a very unique flavor! My husband’s most favorite dessert is Creme brûlée or Creme caramel (purin). Since I make latter I now have to try Creme brûlée to surprise him. :-). I love the nicely burnt top area scooping off with spoon. Yours look delish!!
I LOVED your purin recipe, Nami. Great idea. Hubby will adore cracking into this one.
You are so funny! I love cracking the top of a creme brulee but I love it even more when I am doing it upside down!!! What fun!!! 🙂 And the flavor combination sounds brilliant… I have never tried passionfruit and chocolate together, but it appeals to me! And I think it’s really cool that both of us just posted about ‘Mars’! Great minds, eh, Jill? Hugs to you, my friend!
Cheers to Mars, cracking up brûlées and enjoying life upside down, Marsha.
Another lovely recipe to use leftover eggyolks. Unfortunately we don’t have passion fruit in Greece.
What? No passionfruit? Not even juice? Oh dear. Well I’m sure with your creativity, Ivy, you’ll find a local alternative.
Wow, you’re not only mad, Jill, you’re brilliant too. That’s a sign of genius too! hehehe you seem to be unhappy with your height. How tall are you?
Red brulee….Passion week is here. In case you didn’t think of it…what a connection ;p
I’m tall for my age 😉
But could I be shrinking soon? I’m 1m80, Thoma. Yep, that was a mad connection – but having fun.
Ha, that’s nearly my husband’s height! So I know how you would look like! Do you get to wear heels? ;p
Only when I’m in a bad mood or if he’s in the dog house ;-))
I’m a huge custard based desserts lover, usully I”just keep my yolks for breakfast next morning 🙂
Take care..
Very funny post. Well done. Gorgeous creme brulee. Love the combination of flavors. The color and look is fabulous. Perfectly executed.
Merci beaucoup, Chef. xo
Me! I looove that cracked top 🙂 Creme brulee is one of my top 10 indulgences, I’d say, and I certainly never had a passion fruit version. Sounds delightful!
Kiri, you need to try the passion version. You need to crack it! 😉
Gosh! Your Crème Brulee looks divine! My husband loves this dessert. On our trip to Paris last October he was very keen to enjoy his favourite dessert but surprisingly we couldn’t find it at any of the restaurants we went to. Finally we found it at a bakery/patisserie in a nondescript street which was not up to the mark. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
You’re just as well making it yourself, eh? Especially as you can transport yourself to any flavour combination you fancy…
ah..chocolate and passion fruit, a rare but delicious blend! Pretty fantastic served up in the form of a creme brulee, very creative of you Jill. Glad I do not have to be an astronaut on Mars to enjoy this. Impressive post!
Thanks, Tina. Just the greedy side coming out with Easter approaching and needing chocolate!
Wow, creme brulee is my favourite recipe here in France, but never had it with chocolate inside. It must be devine!!
Neither had I until I tried this out. Needing chocolate as Easter is approaching… Hope you enjoy this!