Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Creme Brulee

My all time favorite dessert!



Creme Brulee at it's best...

Ingredients


  • 9 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup superfine white sugar plus 6 tablespoons
  • 1 quart heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.

Pour cream into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds and add them to saucepan. Bring cream to a brief simmer, do not boil or it will overflow. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by gradually whisking the hot vanilla cream into yolk and sugar mixture. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook.

Divide custard into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 40 minutes. You may want to cover loosely with foil to prevent browning. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above surface to brown the sugar and form a crust. Garnish with cookies and fresh fruit. Serve at once.

Variation: Before dividing into ramekins: add 3 ounces of shaved dark chocolate for chocolate creme brulee; add 4 slices of crystallized ginger for ginger creme brulee; add 3 slices of orange peel for orange creme brulee. Let steep 20 minutes to infuse the flavor. Strain out the ginger and orange peel before baking.

13 comments:

Dreams of Perfection said...

I used to absolutely LOVE Creme Brulee until I saw how many eggs are in the recipe :o( I can't get over eating eggs unless they are fried. But I do miss some good Creme Brulee!

Sarah said...

sounds delicious! I have a great creme brulee recipe at www.sjgourmet.com, you might want to check out :)

Dana Fallentine said...

Haha. There are recipe's out there that call for 6 yolks. One of those would be good to try - it is worth it, I promise. The richer the better!

Fresh Local and Best said...

Creme brulee is my favorite dessert. I like your suggested variation on toppings!

♥peachkins♥ said...

This is the ultimate dessert. We also have a similar dessert taht we always make......Leche Flan or Creme Caramel

Chef E said...

Oh yum, I have not made this in so long, my son would beg me for it, I think the last time I made it I turned 40...we will not do that math problem...

These look so good I would maybe eat 40!

ann low said...

I had Creme Brulee once before it is really yummy. Thanks for sharing your recipe :)

Christo Gonzales said...

beautiful presentation with the berries!

Anonymous said...

Sounds absolutely heavenly, I would especially love to try the ginger one!

Susan R said...

Is there a way to make this without the torch burner thingy? Do you think it's possible to put it under the broiler?

Mary Bergfeld said...

Wow! This sounds incredible and must be tried. This is my first visit to your blog and I really like what I've found here. I'll be back often to see what's been going on. Have a wonderful day...Mary

Dana Fallentine said...

Yes, you can broil it at 450 degrees. Be careful it doesn't catch on fire, though! Depending on your oven... watch it close!

Trendsetters said...

love this dessert...got to try sometime...