I recently had a small love affair with creme brulee, and here is how it began: At a wedding I attended, the rehearsal dinner had amazing creme brulee - and I might have eaten as much of it as the actual food... What? It was a wedding, calories don't count at such celebrations! Then, for my birthday, I had an amazing dinner at a local artisan restaurant and had creme brulee for my birthday. It took every ounce of my willpower to not lick the ramekin in which that heaven was served. Though I did consider it for a few brief moments.
A few days after the birthday brulee, I decided that since I already had the kitchen blow torch and I have made flan several times with much success - it was time to tackle my craving head on. Since I knew what my creme brulee needed to aspire too, I did a bit of recipe research and came up with this lovely concoction. This creme brulee is intensely rich and creamy, so be prepared to make one recipe for yourself and then another recipe for those you intend to make it for. Trust me, you will not want to share!
Notes:
- This is a dessert that is easy to flavor in a variety of different ways, simply infuse your cream with the desired flavors and cut back on the vanilla to let the flavor combinations shine.
- The number of creme brulees that this recipe will make depends on the size of your ramekins and how thick of a creme brulee you prefer. I prefer thinner creme brulees and prepare them in small, individually sized ramekins, so this makes about 8 for me. Size, vessel, and thickness are up to you!
- Water baths are a custard's best friend, but getting even an ounce of water in your ramekin means death to your beautiful creation - so beware!
- For serving, there are two distinct ways to serve this dish; I find merits in both, so I'll explain them both so you can decide!
- Option 1: Fire & Serve almost immediately: The custard will be looser and not quite as set because you have just taken a blow torch to it, making it heat up. A bit more on the creamy side and if you have a bit thicker creme brulee, you will notice a gradient from warm to cool in the dessert.
- Option 2: Fire & Refrigerate & Serve: This will yield a more set custard that will obviously be cool. Since you have allowed the creme brulee to cool back down from the blow torching, it has regained it's custard like qualities and stiffened back up a bit.
- When torching, I prefer to use a lower flame to initially melt the sugar (be a little patient) and then go over it again with a larger flame to achieve that lovely caramelized color.
Vanilla Creme Brulee
2 c. heavy cream
2 T. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks
Hot Water
Preheat the oven to 325.
In a medium saucepan, stir the cream and vanilla together. Over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for about 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 c. sugar and the egg yolks. Whisk until well blended, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes and skim off any foam that may rise to the top. Pouring the cream down the side of your bowl, very slowly add the cream to the egg mixture. Stir continually.
Place your ramekins into a roasting pan and then divide the mixture among them equally.
Open the door of your oven and pull out the rack you intend to use, place the roasting pan onto the rack and then pour the hot water into the bottom of the pan, so that it come halfway up the ramekins. Slowly and gently ease the rack back into the oven.
Back until the center still jiggles, but overall the custard is set, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to several days.
When ready to serve, set the creme brulee out at room temperature for 5 minutes. Divide the remaining sugar between the ramekins and spread into an even layer on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crystallized sugar layer. Let the creme brulee sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. See the notes for your serving options!
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