I’m honestly not going to give an introduction because I don’t know how else to describe how I feel about crème brûlée! Please refer to “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (my first blog post). If you read it, you’ll note that back then, I expressed my desire to get a cooking (or equivalent) torch so that I can stop using stove lighters, cigarette lighters and my faulty broiler to caramelize the sugar for my brûlées. My prayers were answered. So without further ado, I present my crème brûlée, done the right way! It shouldn’t matter that my torch came from the plumbing section of Walmart and is supposed to be used for soldering etc. Since it has the ability to burn my sugar, all that other info is inconsequential to me *grins*
Recipe modified from Food Jimoto
Ingredients:
2 cups of heavy cream *
1/3 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract (I have not yet received my vanilla beans)
Peel of 1/4 of a lemon (I just love the taste this gives) (optional)
Additional sugar for brûléeing. About 2 tablespoons.
* If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do this the RIGHT way. I see a lot of recipes calling for milk or half and half or a combination of both. Some would call for cream and milk but my thought is that if I’m going to do it, I’m going to make it the very rich, decadent way. That’s just me.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the cream, vanilla extract and lemon peel into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remember to remove the lemon peel.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and the egg yolks…
….until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color.
4. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
5. Remove ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
6. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Sprinkle sugar equally among the ramekins and spread evenly on top.
7. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top (or get someone to do it, like I did)
8 .Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
I found my crème brûlée to be exceptionally silkier than ever before.
I used to follow a method where I would whip eggs by themselves and slightly boil cream with sugar BUT this time I whipped eggs and sugar together at length and did the cream separately and then mixed (tempered). I think that might have been the reason for the smooth, creaminess. I also prefer a thicker “crust” but this time, I went for a thin layer. It worked out perfectly!
So you know who’s going to be making all types of crème brûlées from now on right? Yes…that would be ME!
Bye For Now…..
This in on my “bucket list” to make. Can you believe I’ve never had creme brulee! I’m so glad you posted step by step instructions. And I agree with you, if you’re going to make it and indulge … you may as well go for it with the cream! It looks wonderful!! :-)
Never? Oh my! You really have to try it soon. I’d say start off with a brûlée from a good restaurant so you can taste it by the “pros” and then make it yourself.
wow, this is amazing Tia! And the ingredients are so simple. For some reason all these years I thought there were a lot more ingredients, but these are things I have in my cabinet!/fridge! I can’t wait to try it! I’ll be sharing this with my mom too.
When I first had créme brûlée, I thought I could only have it at restaurants…..until I found out how simple it is. Before I got my torch I would just make it without the burnt top. I guess that’s just baked custard but I love it all the same. Please try it soon and post pics so I can see! I’m so looking forward to seeing yours!
Reblogged this on Gary Lum's Blog and website.
I too love creme brulee! My favorite part is the sugar caramelizing, its so cool to watch. I made a pumpkin brulee awhile ago that was delicious and I remember eating one at an Asian restaurant that was lemongrass and something. I’m gonna try your lemon idea, it sounds really good! Thanks for sharing.
I’ve had a lemongrass, coconut creme brulee before and it was really good but there’s no lemongrass around me so I just add the lemon zest or peel. Let me know how you like it when you try it. I want to try pumpkin creme brulee soon before pumpkin season is over. Yum.
Please look here! http://obsessioncompulsion.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/yet-again/
Yummy post btw. ;) I never had one. :(
Thank you for the nomination. I’m very pleased!
And you must try crème brûlée soon! Or at least put it on your “bucket list”
I’ve never made cream brûlée either! This is on my “to do” list. I guess this will have to be a signature dish if I invest in a fancy torch!
You can find cheap torches for as little as $20. It’s soooo worth the investment (but I may be biased).
Great post! Creme brulee is easy to make and limited only by your imagination. Great walk through instructions and photos.
Glad I found you and can’t wait to read more!
Absolutely LOVE creme brûlée and this looks like a good recipe – I’ve seen others that take some shortcuts. You’re right on with the torch. I used to work at WIlliams-Sonoma and we had brûlée torches for like $30. I went to a hardware store and got the old school handheld propane torch for under $10. The kind you have works better, but it’s not as intimidating looking as the one i had.
Nothing beats a simple classic like this, Merry Christmas
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