Creme Brulee is one of those desserts that I've really only had in restaurants. Cool, creamy custard hidden underneath a caramelized crust. The Brulee part of the name refers to the caramelized sugar. It surprised me to learn that this restaurant dessert can be made easily at home (provided you have a kitchen torch).
It doesn't take very long to make, but it does involve a bit of pre-planning because you will need to refridgerate it for a couple of hours to set the custard.
Creme Brulee Recipe
4 egg yolks
1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of sugar for the caramel crust.
Mix the egg yolks, heavy whipping cream and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar together. Fill 4 oz. ramekins (little custard dishes) with mixture. Place ramekins in a shallow tray with half an inch of boiling hot water. Place in oven at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool before placing them in the refridgerator (covered) for at least 2 hours.
Top with sugar, brown the sugar with kitchen torch.
If desired, fruit may be placed inside the custard before baking.
Notes:
Because it is wintertime, I made some seasonal creme brulees with candied ginger placed inside, but I think the ginger overpowers the delicacy of the creme. Ginger also seems to have a property that creates a much more watery consistency to the creme -- next time I will try fresh fruits instead.
raspberries seem to work well. you should look up the recipe for chocolate creme brulee too. there's this one place down here that makes it, and it's actually pretty good. glad to see you're experimenting in the kitchen! ") does this mean you have your own little blow torch?
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