Place oven rack in the center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees.  Place a dish towel in a shallow baking pan and set aside.  Boil a kettle of water and have on hand. 

Heat the cream in a medium sauce pan on the stove until hot and just barely bubbling (don't boil).  Turn heat off and add chocolate.  Let it rest so chocolate can melt.  

Place eggs and sugar in a medium-large mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until mixture is pale yellow in color and thick and fluffy.  

Whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth and melted and then slowly drizzle the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Stir until completely smooth and whisk in vanilla and peppermint. 

Place ramekins in the pan lined with the dish cloth (see note below about how many ramekins and how full to pour.)  Place pan in oven and carefully pour your hot water into the baking pan until it reaches half way up the outside of the ramekins.   Gently tent the pan with foil. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, slightly more if your ramekins are filled quite full (like mine in these photos!) . They should be just set around the edges and still jiggle when you gently shake the pan.

Remove ramekins from water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. 

When ready to serve, crush candy canes by pulsing them in a high powered blender, food processor, or a mallet (using a plastic bag.) They should be mostly a fine powder, like granulated sugar, with some larger chunks if you prefer. 

Use a torch to caramelize the sugar and serve immediately.