Bourbon Brûlé Recipes

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp 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. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) 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.
• Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

BOURBON BRûLé

Steps:

• Slice the orange in half horizontally. Cut a thin slice (no more than 1/8 inch) from each half. Coat one side of each slice with the sugar. Heat a small, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, on high. Place the orange slices, sugar-side down, in the skillet and sear for a couple of minutes, until lightly caramelized. Remove from pan and let cool, browned side up. Juice the rest of the orange; you should have about 1/4 cup.
• Combine bourbon, sherry, ginger liqueur and orange juice in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Stir briefly to chill. Strain over ice into two rocks glasses. Place an orange slice, caramelized side up, directly in each glass, sitting on top of the rocks. Serve.

BOURBON BRûLé

Steps:

• Slice the orange in half horizontally. Cut a thin slice (no more than 1/8 inch) from each half. Coat one side of each slice with the sugar. Heat a small, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, on high. Place the orange slices, sugar-side down, in the skillet and sear for a couple of minutes, until lightly caramelized. Remove from pan and let cool, browned side up. Juice the rest of the orange; you should have about 1/4 cup. *For a smokier taste we used a culinary blowtorch on the sliced oranges instead of the skillet.
• Combine bourbon, sherry, ginger liqueur and orange juice in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Stir briefly to chill. Strain over ice into two rocks glasses. Place an orange slice, caramelized side up, directly in each glass, sitting on top of the rocks. Serve.

BOURBON VANILLA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Add egg yolks to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until eggs are thick and light yellow, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla bean paste.
• Pour cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and simmer until just hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Pour half of the warmed cream into the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly so eggs do not curdle.
• Pour egg yolk-cream mixture into the remaining cream in the double boiler.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let mixture boil.
• Pour custard into 4 small ramekins and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
• Sprinkle each crème brûlée with some of the remaining tablespoon of superfine sugar.
• Use a blowtorch to melt the sugar on top of the crème brûlée. It will crystallize as it hardens. Alternatively you can use the oven broiler, but be careful to not burn the sugar.
• Lightly tap the crystallized sugar with the back of a spoon to break it before eating.

BOURBON PECAN CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350.
• Heat the cream to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
• Meanwhile fork together the egg yolks and sugar, taking care not to incorporate any air into the mix.
• When cream is hot, remove from heat and add vanilla and bourbon.
• Slowly pour cream into eggs, mixing with fork, being careful not to incorporate any air into the mix. You have to pour slowly, otherwise the hot cream will cook the egg.
• Divide custard between 6 ramekins and place in a baking dish. Add water to the baking dish so that it comes up the sides of the ramekins to the level of the custard inside. Take care not to splash any water into the ramekins.
• Carefully place baking dish in the oven (don't splash water into the ramekins) and bake about half an hour. Custard is done when it is set but still jiggly.
• Remove from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least a couple hours, and up to 2 days.
• When ready to serve, cover each custard with about 2 tsp of brown sugar and caramelize with a torch (or you can use the broiler in your oven, but be careful, the line between caramelized and burned is a fine line). Top with toasted pecans.

PECAN BOURBON CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Place six 3/4-cup custard cups in large roasting pan.
• Whisk egg yolks, sugar, bourbon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Bring whipping cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot whipping cream into egg yolk mixture. Pour custard into souffl
 dishes, dividing equally.
• Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of souffl
 dishes. Bake custards until just set in center, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from water and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours. (Custards can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated.).
• Preheat broiler. Arrange custard dishes on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon golden brown sugar evenly over each. Broil until sugar melts and turns dark brown, rotating baking sheet for even browning and watching closely, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle creme brulees with chopped toasted pecans, dividing equally.