Thyme Infused Créme Brulee Recipes

CLASSIC INFUSED CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Place an oven rack slightly lower than center in oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Whisk milk, cream, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, scrapings from vanilla bean, and split vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture just reaches a boil; remove from heat and set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks in a bowl for a few strokes; whisk in hot cream mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time at first, whisking thoroughly before adding the next amount. As the yolk mixture becomes warmer, increase the amount of cream mixture you whisk in to about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Strain the cream through a fine sieve and spoon into eight 4-ounce ramekins. Discard spent vanilla pod. Set the ramekins into a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the desserts are softly set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the roasting pan and let the desserts cool in the water bath to room temperature. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Desserts will hold for 2 to 3 days in refrigerator before topping with sugar.
• Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top of each dessert. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown and caramelize the sugar until melted, about 1 minute. Move the torch quickly to avoid burning. Let caramelized topping cool for about 10 minutes, then serve.

THYME CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy bottomed pot bring cream just to the boil. Remove from heat, and add thyme and let sit for several minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Place the mixing bowl on top of a towel to keep it from wobbling while whisking in hot liquid. Gently whisk 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, to temper the yolks and prevent lumps take care not to make an excessive amount of bubbles. While gently whisking, slowly pour the remainder of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. With a spoon, skim off any bubbles that may have come to the surface.
• Evenly space the ramekins on a paper towel-lined baking dish to prevent ramekins from sliding. Fill each ramekin to just below the top. Place on the extended middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour hot tap water into the baking dish until 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Be careful not to get any water on the custard mixture. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and very gently slide it towards the center of the rack. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Uncover and let the custards cool in the water bath until they are cool enough to handle. Remove. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (see Cook's Note**).
• Evenly top each custard with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Burn the sugar with a blowtorch or hot branding iron. It is important that the sugar layer is thick enough and goes all the way to the edge of the ramekin; any exposed custard can burn and curdle. Serve shortly after burning the sugar so that the burnt sugar doesn't soften.

THYME-INFUSED CRéME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a pot over medium-low heat, bring cream to a simmer (DO NOT LET BOIL!).
• Remove from heat and add thyme; let steep several minutes, then discard thyme.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar about 3 minutes until thick and pale yellow.
• Very, very gradually whisk the hot cream into the yolk-sugar mixture. DO NOT ADD HOT CREAM QUICKLY OR IT WILL COOK THE EGGS.
• Distribute custard between 4 (6-oz) ramekins.
• Place ramekins in a shallow baking pan and fill pan with hot tap water to halfway up sides of ramekins, being careful not to let water splash into custards.
• Bake at 325F approximately 35 min until custards are just set around the edges with slightly jiggly centers.
• Remove from oven and let ramekins cool in the water bath 10 min, then chill custards in the fridge at least an hour.
• Sprinkle 1 Tbs sugar over each custard.
• Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above each custard until sugar browns and forms a crust.
• Serve immediately.