makes 12 half-cup servings; recipe adapted from Scharffen Berger Chocolate brochure from the olden days
Set up: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Select an assortment of ramekins, tea cups or other oven safe glass containers and set them in an 8×11-inch pyrex “lasagne” pan or other 2-inch deep baking container.
Melt the chocolate with half of the cream: Put chocolate and 1 cup cream into a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set the bowl in a frying pan of water to make a double boiler of sorts. Heat on the stovetop so the water bath is gently simmering and the chocolate melts into the cream. Stir occasionally until chocolate and cream is smooth then remove from water bath and set aside.
Boil remaining cream: Put remaining cream, milk and sugar into a saucepan, bring to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and pinch of sea salt. Pour this mixture into the chocolate/cream mixture and whisk to combine.
Whisk into the egg yolks and bake: Crack egg yolks into a medium sized bowl and whisk in the chocolate-cream mixture. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a bowl with a pouring spout. Fill ramekins leaving some space at the top. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the glass pyrex dish to about half-way up the sides of the containers. Cover the pan with a large rectangle of foil and bake for around 30 minutes, until the custard is set but still has a jiggle to the center.
Remove pan from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes then remove each ramekin from the water bath (being careful not to drip water into the others) and set aside to cool. Refrigerate for a few hours, or up to a few days.