Balsamic Blackberry Crème Brûlée Recipes

BALSAMIC-BLACKBERRY CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put the blackberries and sprinkle with the vinegar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the berries for garnish. Divide the remaining berries among six standard-size flan dishes.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream and divide the mixture among the dishes. Drizzle with the honey. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown or turbinado sugar over each custard. Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar (see note below). Garnish the top of the caramelized sugar with the reserved blackberries.

BLACKBERRY CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a saucepan, combine cream and half of the sugar; heat over medium heat until steaming. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together remaining sugar, eggs and egg yolks until pale. Gradually whisk in heated cream mixture in a slow steady stream; whisk in vanilla.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup wih a pouring spout. Place blackberries evenly in bottom of six 3/4 cup, or 8 1/2 cup ramekins, or crème brûlée dishes. Pour cream mixture evenly over top.
• Set ramekins in a roasting pan and place pan in oven. Pour in enough boiling water to come to three quarters up sides of ramekins.Bake for 35-40 minutes until tops are firm and center is still slightly jiggly.
• Let cool on rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until chlled, or for up to 2 days.
• TOPPING: Just before serving, preheat broiler, if using. Blot tops of custards, dry with paper towel. Sprinkle evenly with a thin layer of sugar, adding more if required. Broil on a baking sheet, rotating ramekins if necessary, or use a torch until sugar is bubbling and caramelized. Let cool for 3 minutes.
• COOKING TOP: Fresh berries work best for rhis recipe. Frozen berries are too soft and rhe custard won't set properly. Rinse fresh berries and pat dry with paper towel just before serving.
• VARIATION: Instead of sprinkling the tops with sugar and browning them, make a caramel syrup topping instead. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, without stirring, until syrup turns a deep caramel colour. Let cool until bubbles subside; pour a thin layer onto custards and let harden.

BLACKBERRY CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Up to 36 hours ahead - put the split vanilla pod and cream in a heavy saucepan and gently bring to simmering point. Whisk as soon as the first bubbles start to rise, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes.
• Fish out a half-pod from the cream and hold it over the pan, then use the tip of a small knife to scrape the black seeds inside into the pan. Repeat with the other pod, then whisk to disperse the seeds.
• Meanwhile,whizz the egg yolks and sugar in a food processor for 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy. Scrape the mixture into the cream and stir to combine. Place the pan over a medium heat and gently whisk constantly until the custard has thickened considerably and is on the point of boiling (when the first few bubbles break through the surface).
• Immediately remove the pan from the heat and plunge the base into a sink of ice-cold water. Continue to gently whisk for 1-2 minutes, or until most of the heat has dissipated. Leave to cool, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
• Meanwhile, place six little heatproof dishes, about 10cm in diameter and 2.5cm deep (see tip), on a tray that will fit in the fridge. Divide the blackberries among them, then cover with the cool custard and chill until firmly set. Loosely drape with cling film over to cover.
• An hour or so before serving - if you don't have a blow torch to brûlée the custard, use a very hot grill. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each dish then, if using a blow torch, carefully 'burn' the sugar, starting on the nearest side: the sugar will bubble and turn a dark caramel. Wait for a few minutes for the surface to harden before serving but DO NOT be tempted to touch as the sugar remains blisteringly hot for some while. Alternatively, put the ramekins on a baking sheet close to the grill until the sugar caramelises. Keep them cool until ready to serve, but not in the fridge or the caramel will soften.

CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 13x9-inch pan, place 4 (6-oz) ceramic ramekins. In small bowl, slightly beat egg yolks with wire whisk. In large bowl, stir whipping cream, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla until well mixed. Add egg yolks; beat with wire whisk until evenly colored and well blended. Pour cream mixture evenly into ramekins.
• Carefully place pan with ramekins in oven. Pour enough boiling water into pan, being careful not to splash water into ramekins, until water covers two-thirds of the height of the ramekins.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until top is light golden brown and sides are set (centers will be jiggly).
• Using tongs or grasping tops of ramekins with pot holder, carefully transfer ramekins to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
• Uncover ramekins; gently blot any liquid from tops of custards with paper towel. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons granulated sugar over each chilled custard. Holding kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from custard, caramelize sugar on each custard by heating with torch about 2 minutes, moving flame continuously over sugar in circular motion, until sugar is melted and light golden brown. (To caramelize sugar in the broiler, see Broiler Directions below.) Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
• Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
• Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.