For the chocolate sauce:

• Combine cocoa powder, sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-low, whisking constantly to break up the lumps.
• Remove from heat and add in butter. Stir to melt and incorporate. Add in chocolate extract.
• Pour sauce into bottom of six to eight small ramekins, coating the bottoms evenly. You don't need to use all the sauce; just a thin layer is fine.
• Place ramekins in freezer to chill while making the creme brûlée custard.

For the creme brûlée custard:

• Place cream in a medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean and scrape pulp into the cream. Add vanilla bean to the cream.
• Bring cream to a boil over medium heat. Turn off heat and cover saucepan, and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl.
• Slowly pour about half of the cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour the rest of the cream mixture in and whisk to combine.
• Add in vanilla extract and salt and whisk to combine. Strain the custard if desired to get rid of any lumps.
• Remove ramekins from freezer and divide custard mixture among the cups.
• Place ramekins in a large baking or roasting pan. Carefully fill the pan with hot water, taking care not to get water in the ramekins. Carefully place the pan into the oven.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custards seems mostly set and the centers still jiggle slightly. When the custards are done, they should shimmy slightly when you move the pan (careful not to spill water!) but the center should not move separately. If, however, it has set like Jello and there are bubbles forming on the top it is becoming overcooked and you should remove the custards immediately. If the custards start rising at any point they have become overcooked.
• Remove pan from oven. Take ramekins out of the water and place on wire rack to cool.
• When ramekins are cool enough to touch, cover and chill for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to serve the crème brûlées, take one ramekin at a time and sprinkle the top with sugar evenly over the top. Using a hand-held blowtorch, carefully caramelize the sugar. Keep the flame at least 2 inches from the sugar to prevent burning the sugar. You can also caramelize the sugar under a broiler.
• Let the sugar cool for a couple of minutes before serving. Do not brûlée the custards more than 20 minutes before serving or the sugar may melt.