A small square of dark chocolate a few times of week is a low calorie but highly satisfying treat. You’re working hard, reward yourself the smart way– use chocolate!

Best wishes,

Jihad Salkini

Traditionally used, it is a noun that means “struggle”, and is often used to denote the fact that we should struggle to improve one’s self and follow the path of god. It really guides towards self-improvement and is referenced often in the Quran, the Islamic holy book. Read more about it on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

Just as Hitler took the swastika symbol, a very holy, ancient lucky symbol in Hinduism and used it for his purposes causing the swastika to be stigmatized in the west, the actions of a few have created stigma around the word Jihad.

I am proud of my name and its true meaning!

Jihad Salkini

Ingredients:

- 6 cups chilled Heavy Cream

- 1 cup granulated sugar

- 2 vanilla pods

- 16 large egg yolks

- 12 tsp light brown sugar

Procedure:

With the oven rack adjusted to its lower middle position, preheat the oven to 300° F (150°C). Fold a kitchen towel to cover the bottom of a large roasting pan and arrange 12 five-ounce (150 ml) ramekins on the towel. The ramekins should not touch each other, or the side of the roasting pan. If the roasting pan is not large enough, scale down the recipe.

Combine 3 cups of the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. With a paring knife, halve the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the saucepan. Submerge the pods in the cream. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and steep the mixture for 20 minutes to infuse the flavor.

Meanwhile, separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl and storing the whites for another use. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. After the cream has steeped remove the pods and stir in the remaining 3 cups of cream to cool the mixture.

Whisk the egg yolks until they are evenly combined. Add a cup of the cream mixture to the yolks and whisk until combined. Continue adding cups of cream and whisking until evenly colored. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a second bowl. Ladle the mixture into the 12 ramekins.

Place the roasting pan onto the oven rack and pour in boiling water until it reaches 2/3 the height of the ramekins. Do not splash water into the ramekins. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 170 to 175°F (77 to 79° C) or until the edges of the custard are set, with a spot in the center about the size of a quarter remaining wiggly. The baking time depends upon the height of the ramekins. If shallow, start checking at 30 minutes. Higher ramekins can take up to an hour to bake.

Remove ramekins from roasting pan and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Place on a shallow tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Before serving, uncover the ramekins and soak up any condensation with paper towelling. Spread 1 teaspoon turbinado (Demarara) sugar on each, tilting and tapping to spread the sugar evenly. Spread sugar only on the number of ramekins that will be served. The others can be stored for several days in the refrigerator for later use.

Ignite a propane blowtorch and caramelize the sugar on each ramekin. Take care to direct the flame away from any ignitable material. Avoid the miniature butane torch since its flame is not adequate for uniform caramelization in a reasonable amount of time. Re-chill the ramekins for not more than 45 minutes. A longer time leads to softening of the caramelized crust.

Serve and enjoy!

(recipe courtesy Wikibooks)

Created in custom molds designed by founder Jihad Salkini, the Gilgamesh line is named after an ancient Mesopotamian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature. The artisan line features six chocolate varieties that include:

- Ishtar: Orange flower water and Cardamom Infused Dark Chocolate Truffles

- Shamash: Pistachio Brittle encased in Milk Chocolate

- Uruk: White Chocolate studded with edible rose petals

- Enkidu: Chocolate covered Turkish Delight

- Ninsun: Almonds and Honey in Cinnamon scented chocolate

- Gilgamesh: 64% special reserve chocolate truffles filled with dates and walnuts

“I’ve always been passionate about blending different traditional flavors to create modern delicacies,” explains Jihad Salkini, founder of Jihad Salkini Chocolatier. “Combining dessert flavors that I remember eating as a child with the traditional chocolate making techniques I studied in France has long been an ambition of mine. I’m confident the Gilgamesh line will make the perfect gift this holiday season.”

The Gilgamesh line of gourmet chocolates is available in a 6 piece sampler, 18 piece luxury collection and 30-piece indulgence collection with prices starting at $32.

• 1½ oz butter
• 1½ oz caster sugar
  
• 1½ fluid oz (70ml) heavy cream
  
• 1½ oz plain chocolate

Method:

1. Melt all the ingredients in the sauce pan and allow to bubble for a while until the mixture darkens in colour slightly. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn.
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until it thickens.

This super easy recipe is really great to pour over fruit, ice cream and much more!

Enjoy!

Jihad Salkini