Crème Brûlée, a classic French dessert literally translates to "burnt cream". It is a rich and creamy custard topped with sprinkles of sugar and caramelized to form a sweet and brittle crust...
Crème Brûlée
Serves: 4 Difficulty Level: 3 (of 5) Prep Time: 30 minutes Ready In: 4 Hours
INGREDIENTS:
• 2 Cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 whole vanilla bean
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons orange zest (may substitute 2 teaspoons Grande Marnier liqueur)
• 6 Egg yolks
• 1/4 Cup sugar
PROCEDURE:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Heat cream over medium-low heat.
• Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and bean pod to the cream along with the orange zest or liqueur. Stir to incorporate and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth and a "lemony" color. Once the cream mixture comes to a GENTLE boil add a small amount to the eggs to temper them. Continue to whisk as you slowly add the rest of the cream.
• Strain the custard mixture into a large measuring cup. Place 4 ramekins (3 1/2") in a large roasting pan with at least 2" sides.
• Pour the custard into the ramekins, fill to 3/4 full.
• Transfer the ramekins in the pan to the preheated oven. Pour boiling water in to the roasting pan until it reaches 1/2 way up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.
• To check the custard for doneness, gently shake the ramekins with a pair of tongs, when done they should have a "uniform" jiggle.
• Remove the custard from the water bath and allow to cool on rack. Once they have cooled refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
To Serve:
Sprinkle some sugar onto the tops of the cooled brûlée. To caramelize the sugar you can use a small kitchen torch or you can use the broiler to brown the sugar to a caramel color, do not allow sugar to burn. Let cool for a minute to allow the sugar to harden.
Enjoy,
CHEF PHIL
