Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

--------------------------CUSTARD-------------------------------
1/2 c Milk
2 c Heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 c Sugar
2 Vanilla beans, split
Lengthwise
6 Egg yolks - room temperature
Blended with fork

----------------------CHOCOLATE MOUSSE---------------------------
5 oz Bittersweet or semisweet
Chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 oz Unsalted butter, chopped
4 lg Eggs* separated, at room
Temperature
4 tb Sugar
Plus
6 tb Sugar for caramelizing
1/4 ts Cream of tartar

For the custard; place the milk, cream and sugar in a heavy medium
sized saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into the
mixture and add the split skins too. Bring to a boil over medium
heat. Remove from heat and steep for at least one hour or until the
mixture cools to room temperature. Discard the split skins of the
beans.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place eight three inch ramekins in a
large baking pan. Pour enough water into the pan to come three
quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Remove the ramekins
and place the baking pan with the water in the oven to preheat for
about 15 minutes.

Whisk the six egg yolks into the cooled milk mixture. Strain through
a fine sieve into the ramekins, filling only about half full (leave
room to add the chocolate mousse layer). Place the ramekins in the
preheated prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until set and a
knife inserted into the custard comes out dry. *no time stated in
recipe* Remove dishes from the water bath and cool to room
temperature.

For the chocolate mousse: melt the chocolate and butter in the top of
a double boiler over gently simmering water until chocolate is smooth,
stirring occasionally. Cool until tepid, about 25 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, beat the four egg yolks with two tablespoons
of the sugar until a slowly dissolving ribbon forms as the beaters
are lifted. Fold the tepid chocolate into the yolks.

Using a clean dry beater and bowl, beat the four egg whites and the
cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining two
tablespoons of sugar one at a time and continue beating until barely
stiff. Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture,
fold in the remaining whites.

Spoon the chocolate mousse over the cooled baked custards, smoothing
the tops with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at
least 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes
before serving.

To serve, preheat the broiler (or use stovetop salamander or small
propane torch). Sprinkle a little less than one tablespoon sugar
over each dessert.

Place about two inches below the heat source and broil until the
sugar is melted and caramelized, about two minutes, watching
CAREFULLY. Serve immediately.

NOTE:uncooked egg yolks may be contaminated with salmonella and
should be avoided by young children, the elderly and anyone with
immune system deficiencies.

Per ser: 594 cal; 8 gm protein; 41 gm carbo; 47 gm fat; 381 mg chol;
27 gm sat fat; 69 sodium.

Washington Post May 1, 1996

== Courtesy of Dale Gail Shipp, Columbia Md. ==

From: Gail Shipp Date: 05-04-96

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