Créme Brulee With Sugared Grapes Recipes

CRéME BRULEE WITH SUGARED GRAPES

Steps:

• Day before serving, over low heat, heat heavy cream in a heavy, 2 ½ quart saucepan just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat. In double boiler top, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat yolks until very thick and light.
• Gradually beat in 1/3 cup granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until very thick-about 4 minutes. Gradually stir in cream, using wooden spoon. Cook, over hot, not boiling, water, stirring constantly, until thickened-about 15 minutes.
• Mixture should be thick enough to form a coating on a metal spoon. Add vanilla. Strain custard into attractive 9-inch shallow baking dish, 1 inch deep, or 9-inch pie plate. Or turn into 6 (1/2 cup) individual soufflé dishes. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• An hour or two before serving, set in large baking pan; surround completely with ice. Sift brown sugar through strainer evenly over surface. Run under broiler, 4 inches from heat, just until sugar melts slightly and caramelizes-it forms a hard crust.
• Refrigerate until serving. Meanwhile, prepare frosted grapes: Wash and dry bunches of grapes on paper towels. With soft brush, coat grapes with slightly beaten egg white. Quickly roll in granulated sugar to coat well. Place on rack on tray to dry.
• If necessary, roll grapes in sugar to coat once again. Place in freezer a few minutes.
• To serve: Place crème brulee on silver platter; surround with small bunches of frosted grapes, alternating with large strawberries. Makes 8 servings.
• McCall's Cooking School.

GRAPEFRUIT CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, finely grate the zest from the top and bottom of each grapefruit to flatten them out. Reserve the zest (about 1 1/2 teaspoons).
• Cut the grapefruits in half crosswise. Use sharp paring knife or chef's knife to cut around the edge of the grapefruit flesh where it meets the pith, holding it at an angle so that it matches the curve of the fruit. Use a spoon to remove as much of the fruit as possible. Reserve 2 tablespoons of juice and reserve the remaining for another use. Use your hands to remove any remaining flesh from the grapefruit shells (the fruit should pull off from the sides easily).
• Put the cream, 1/2 cup sugar and the reserved zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. When the cream is hot, gradually whisk it into the yolks. Whisk in the vanilla and reserved grapefruit juice then strain through a fine meshed sieve into a liquid measuring cup.
• Line a 9-by-13 glass baking dish with a paper towel then set the grapefruit shells on top. Pour the custard into the shells so that it just reaches the tops (you may have a little extra custard depending on the size of your grapefruits). Put the baking dish in the oven then carefully add enough of the simmering water so that it reaches about halfway up the sides of the grapefruits. Bake until the custard is just set, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the grapefruits with a spatula. Put on a large plate and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hours and 30 minutes.
• Shortly before serving, sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the tops of the custard. Use the torch to brulee the sugar until deep golden brown. The caramel will harden as it cools.

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.