SAN DIEGO --

ARCHIVED RECIPES See More Chef Larry Recipes CONTACT INFO E-Mail Chef Larry Your Comments, Questions

Ingredients:

1 qt. Heavy cream
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
10 each Egg yolks
9 oz. Sugar
2 oz. Amaretto liqeuer
1/2 tsp. Lemon zest

For the sugar crust:

2 tbsp Sugar

For service:

1/3 cup Almonds, sliced, toasted
1 cup Sweetened whipped cream
6 each Mint sprigs
as needed Chef Larry's Chocolate Heart Decorations (procedure follows)

Method:
Combine cream and lemon zest in a saucepan, heat to boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Place egg yolks, sugar, Amaretto and vanilla in mixing bowl, mix using wire whisk. Slowly incorporate egg yolk mixture into cooled cream. Pour mixture into brulee dishes or ramekins. Create a "bain marie" by placing filled brulee dishes in a deep baking pan and adding 1 inch of water to the same pan. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Remove and refrigerate.

For service sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over each creme brulee. Glaze in top broiler or with small torch. Top each creme brulee with sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with almonds mint sprigs and chocolate heart decorations.

Makes 6 servings

Chef Larry's Chocolate Heart Decorations

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. Dark bittersweet chocolate

Equipment needed:

1 each Small saucepan
1 each Stainless steel mixing bowl (to fit over saucepan)
1 each Probe thermometer with range of 60 - 120 degrees F
1 sheet Parchment or waxed paper
1 each Parchment piping cone
1 each Paper sheet with hearts drawn on it (stencil)
as needed Tape
1 each Small metal spatula

Method:
Place the small saucepan with water over low heat. Bring water to just under a simmer. With a clean dry knife, carefully chop chocolate into small pieces. To temper chocolate, place two-thirds of the chocolate in the mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with water. Using a large spoon or heat resistant rubber spatula, stir chocolate as it melts. Melt chocolate to 118 - 120 degrees F and remove from heat. Add remaining 1/3 chocolate to melted chocolate and stir (when all of the chocolate has melted together the temperature should be 88 degrees F) Tape stencil with hearts to table or counter. Place parchment paper over stencil. Place tempered chocolate in piping cone, close and snip tip to allow chocolate to come out. Carefully pipe chocolate hearts onto parchment paper until stencil as a guide. Place piped hearts in a cool dry place until set. When set, carefully remove hearts with a small metal spatula and use to decorate Chef Larry's Amaretto Creme Brulee.

Makes 10 to 12 hearts