Have a Taste of Intimacy and Romance on New Years' Eve

Until not so long ago, going out on New Year’s Eve, was like winning the lottery – almost nonexistent. The kids were still young, and finding a babysitter was like finding the winning ticket.

 Every mid- December I would contact every female age 15-65, and try to ask, beg, or manipulate someone to stay with my kids.

One year I decided to beat the system: I notified the hubby that we are going to a top notch restaurant, and he should dress appropriately. On the big night, I put on a skimpy LBD, perfume and jewelry and found my husband waiting in his suit looking again like a groom. I invited him to enter our dining room, where candles, flowers, a nice tablecloth and beautiful tableware were awaiting..
 Yes my friends, I made a New year cocktail party for hubby and myself!   Bye-bye begging, Adios bribing babysitters. I went into the kitchen and made some great tasty small things to greet the New Year with style. And you know what? It was romantic, and I celebrated the beginning of the new year with the person I love the most.

Sometimes in life we simply can’t go big and celebrate the way we fantasize. Life gets in the way. It’s important then to think out of the box and find a way to have a special moment in mundane situations. If you don’t have time to cook something?  Simply buy cheese, nuts, olives, crackers and wine, dress nicely and make the effort. I bet you that your significant other and you will not mind that you are by yourself.

I think that welcoming the new year without  some type of luscious chocolate is impossible, so here is Debby Puentee’s recipe for espresso crème brulee. it's sweet, yet grown up, creamy and crunchy at the same time. Somewhat like the coming year with all it's flavors and life itself. Happy New Year to you all!

Espresso Crème Brulee

2 cups heavy cream

1 tbsp instant espresso powder

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 egg yolks

3 tbsps sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar (for topping)

chocolate-covered espresso beans for garnish

 

1) Heat oven 300°F

 2) In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and espresso powder to a simmer. Do not boil!!!

Whisk to help dissolve the espresso granules.

3) Remove from heat and add the chocolate

while the cream is still hot. Mix until smooth and set aside.

4) In a large bowl, whisk the

egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla together. Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg

mixture, whisking to combine. Strain through a sieve. Ladle the custard into six cups

(custard cups, tea cups, ramekins, you name it) and place in a water bath. The way to do it:

5) Boil water in a kettle and when the oven is ready, set roasting pan with custard filled

ramekins on the oven rack and carefully pour the hot water into the pan. Take care

not to let the water splash up and into the custard  Bake until the custard is set, but still jiggles in the middle. This takes

about 40 to 50 minutes.
6)Remove the pan from the oven and let the

custards cool IN THE WATER BATH. Remove from water bath and refrigerate for at

least two hours.

 

7)Before serving, sprinkle a couple of

teaspoons of sugar over each custard and either torch it with a propane torch until the

sugar bubbles and caramelizes.