Creme Brûlée Recipes

ULTIMATE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit four 175ml ramekins in a deep roasting tin at least 7.5cm deep (or a large deep cake tin), one that will enable a baking tray to sit well above the ramekins when laid across the top of the tin.
• Pour the large and small cartons of double cream into a medium pan with the milk.
• Lay the vanilla pod on a board and slice lengthways through the middle with a sharp knife to split it in two. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out all the tiny seeds into the cream mixture. Drop the vanilla pod in as well, and set aside.
• Put the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 1 min with an electric hand whisk until paler in colour and a bit fluffy.
• Put the pan with the cream on a medium heat and bring almost to the boil. As soon as you see bubbles appear round the edge, take the pan off the heat.
• Pour the hot cream into the beaten egg yolks, stirring with a wire whisk as you do so, and scraping out the seeds from the pan.
• Set a fine sieve over a large wide jug or bowl and pour the hot mixture through to strain it, encouraging any stray vanilla seeds through at the end.
• Using a big spoon, scoop off all the pale foam that is sitting on the top of the liquid (this will be several spoonfuls) and discard. Give the mixture a stir.
• Pour in enough hot water (from the tap) into the roasting tin to come about 1.5cm up the sides of the ramekins. Pour the hot cream into the ramekins so you fill them up right to the top - it's easier to spoon in the last little bit.
• Put them in the oven and lay a baking sheet over the top of the tin so it sits well above the ramekins and completely covers them, but not the whole tin, leaving a small gap at one side to allow air to circulate.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until the mixture is softly set. To check, gently sway the roasting tin and if the crème brûlées are ready, they will wobble a bit like a jelly in the middle. Don't let them get too firm.
• Lift the ramekins out of the roasting tin with oven gloves and set them on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes only, then put in the fridge to cool completely. This can be done overnight without affecting the texture.
• When ready to serve, wipe round the top edge of the dishes, sprinkle 1½ tsp of caster sugar over each ramekin and spread it out with the back of a spoon to completely cover.
• Spray with a little water using a fine spray (the sort you buy in a craft shop) to just dampen the sugar - then use a blow torch to caramelise it. Hold the flame just above the sugar and keep moving it round and round until caramelised. Serve when the brûlée is firm, or within an hour or two.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Prepare oven and baking dishes: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Place eight 5-ounce baking dishes in a large roasting pan.
• Gently heat cream: In a medium saucepan, combine cream and half the sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). Scrape vanilla bean seeds into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium just until mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes (do not let boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with remaining sugar and the salt.
• Temper eggs: Use ladle to pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk to combine. (This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of cream mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup (to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits of egg).
• Bake: Divide custard evenly among baking dishes. Place pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until custards are just set (they should tremble slightly in center when shaken), 30 to 40 minutes.
• Chill: Remove pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove dishes from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days) before serving. The custard will finish setting in the refrigerator. If you like, transfer the custards to the freezer 15 minutes before serving to ensure they stay cold after being bruleed (this is especially important if using the broiler).
• Caramelize tops and serve: Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar over each custard. Working with one at a time, pass the flame of the torch in a circular motion 1 to 2 inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber, and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Use 6-oz. ramekins.
• Heat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat the cream or cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until scalded (you'll see small bubbles on the sides of the pan).
• Split the vanilla bean in half, if using, and scrape the seeds into the cream.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, slowly whisk the sugar and salt into the egg yolks.
• Slowly temper the hot cream into the sugar/yolk mixture.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher or measuring cup.
• Stir in vanilla extract if using.
• Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish with deep sides, pour the mixture into the ramekins, Fill the baking dish with water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and cover the dish with foil.
• Bake until just set, 25 to 50 min.
• Remember to start checking early; baking time will depend on the thickness and depth of your ramekins and baking dish.
• Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath.
• Remove, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Topping: sprinkle a light layer of sugar over each cold creme brulee just before serving.
• Caramelize either using a propane torch by passing over the sugar or putting under a broiler.

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.

VANILLA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
• In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
• When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

CLASSIC CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the cream, egg yolks and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture reaches 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in vanilla. , Transfer to eight 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place cups in a baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours., One hour before serving, place custards on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar. Broil 8 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Refrigerate leftovers.

CLASSIC CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Pour cream into a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Using tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean, if using, into cream and add pod (if using vanilla extract, do not add it yet). Heat cream over moderate heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat and discard pod.
• Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly until combined. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and whisk in vanilla extract, if using. Ladle custard into ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, 25 to 30 minutes. With tongs, transfer custards to a rack to cool, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours.
• Just before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over custards. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth close to sugar until sugar is caramelized. Let stand until sugar is hardened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Variation:
• Coffee Crème Brûlée: Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder into the hot cream and proceed as directed.

PUMPKIN CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 300 F. Place 6 ramekins in a large baking pan.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the heavy cream, milk or half-and-half, brown sugar, and spices. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is hot and just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl with the granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt.
• While whisking constantly, pour about 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Return the egg yolk and cream mixture to the saucepan and whisk to blend. Whisk in the pumpkin until well blended.
• Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the pumpkin custard mixture through the sieve into the bowl.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Pour the pumpkin cream mixture into the ramekins. Pour the boiling water into the outer pan until it is about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. The custards will still have a slight jiggle when done.
• Place the ramekins on a rack to cool and discard the water. When the ramekins are cooled to room temperature, place them back in the empty pan. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of superfine or raw sugar over each pumpkin crème brûlée. Using a kitchen torch , carefully melt the sugar until golden brown while turning the ramekin to brown the topping evenly. The ramekins will become hot from the torch, so use an oven mitt to turn the custards as you melt the sugar. The topping will harden in a minute or two.
• Serve immediately. Enjoy.

CLASSIC CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place four ½ cup (125 mL) ramekins or custard cups in a baking dish. Set aside.Heat cream in saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form around edge of pan. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and a ¼ cup of sugar until thick and lemon-coloured - about 1 to 2 minutes.
• When cream is hot, gradually whisk into egg yolk mixture. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture through sieve into ramekins, dividing evenly. Pour very hot water into baking dish to reach halfway up ramekins. Carefully place baking dish in oven. Bake until mostly set but with a slight jiggle in the centre, about 30 to 35 minutes for taller ramekins (about 2 inches (5 cm) high), and 25 to 30 minutes for shallow ramekins (about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high).Carefully remove ramekins from water. Cool on wire rack. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Just before serving (or up to 2 hours before serving), sprinkle sugar evenly over surface of desserts (1 tsp for taller ramekins and 1-½ tsp for shallow ramekins). Using a mini torch or by placing the ramekins directly under the broiler, heat until sugar melts and caramelizes. Serve immediately, or for a firmer texture, chill until serving time.

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.

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.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 °F. In a heavy-bottomed medium nonreactive saucepan, heat the cream with the vanilla bean for 15 minutes; stirring to ensure it does not burn. Remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Strain the cream. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, or until they are light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Add about half the cream mixture, a little at a time, to the egg mixture, whisking until well blended. Then pour the egg mixture into the remaining cream mixture. Stir until completely blended.
• Pour the custard into four (9 oz) ramekins or custard cups. Place the dishes in large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mixture is set in the center (it should still wiggle when shaken). Remove the dishes from the baking pan. Let cool l completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 or up to 24 hours. Let the ramekins stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Spoon the 1/3 to 1/2 cup white or light brown sugar in a thin, even layer over each portion of custard, covering it completely. To caramelize the sugar, light a propane torch and hold it so the flame just touches the surface. Start at the center and spiral out toward the edges of the ramekins. If the sugar begins to burn, pull the torch away and blow on the sugar to extinguish the flame.
• VARIATIONS: Finely grate orange zest or bittersweet chocolate over the creme before adding the sugar for caramelizing. A propane torch can be bought at your local hardware store. If you don't have one, caramelize the topping under the broiler, watching carefully so as not to burn it.