Free Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson

chocolate, chopped
½
teaspoon fine sea salt
¾
cup milk
1
cup heavy cream
Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunch for garnish (optional; recipe follows)
Combine the peanut butter, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the peanut butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Transfer the chocolate-peanut butter mixture to a medium-size mixing bowl.
Heat the milk to scalding (the point at which small bubbles are forming around the edge of the pan but the milk is not yet boiling) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the hot milk into the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Let cool to room temperature.
In a medium-size bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate-peanut butter mixture until thoroughly combined and uniform in color. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Serve topped with the Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunch.
Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunch
    MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS
    Â 
¼
cup creamy peanut butter (regular, not natural)
2
ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2
cups cornflakes
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the peanut butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the peanut butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Stir in the cornflakes.
Spread the mixture on the baking sheet in a layer about ½ inch thick and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Break the crunch into bite-size pieces and use it as a garnish for the mousse (or snack on it as is!). The crunch keeps in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Maple Crème Brûlée
    Don't be afraid of making crème brûlée. Maybe you're not afraid of it—I used to be, till I tried it and learned that it's not hard at all. You just need to give yourself enough time to let everything cool and set. Start this at least a couple of hours before you want to serve it, then caramelize the top (the fun part, which you can do with a kitchen blowtorch or under the broiler) at the last minute before serving. A dash of sea salt plays beautifully against the sweetness of the maple and the hard sugar crust. Be sure to use real maple syrup, not the imitation stuff.
    Â 
    MAKES 6 SERVINGS
    Â 
3
cups heavy cream
1
cup pure maple syrup
5
large egg yolks
1
large egg
1
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1
teaspoon sea salt
½
cup sugar
1
cup fresh seasonal berries of your choice, for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium-size saucepan, heat the cream and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam rises from the surface. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat.
In a medium-size bowl, stir the egg yolks and the egg together to blend well. Stir the vanilla into the cream mixture, then slowly pour in the eggs in 3 increments, stirring gently between each increment. Place the saucepan in an ice-water bath for about 10 minutes to cool the custard. Stir gently once or twice to speed the cooling process.
Divide the custard among six 6-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in an oven-proof baking dish and carefully pour enough water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is firm, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let them cool at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Once they've reached room temperature, you can refrigerate them for up to 8 hours.
When it's almost time to serve, preheat the broiler. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and sprinkle each custard with some of the sea salt, then some of the sugar (sugar should be about inch thick on each ramekin, evenly distributed).
Place the ramekins under the broiler, close to the heat source. Remove from the heat when the tops are golden brown and hardened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Garnish with berries, if desired, and serve warm, or refrigerate for at least 10 minutes