Black And White Crème Brûlée Food

THE BEST CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large heavy roasting pan (a turkey roasting pan works great) with a clean kitchen towel and place 4 six-ounce ramekins on top of the towel spaced a few inches apart.
• Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Using the back of a paring knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from both halves of the pod. Add the seeds and pod to the cream. Whisk in the salt and 3 tablespoons of the sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Vigorously whisk the yolks and 3 more tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer on high speed and beat until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Whisking the yolks constantly, add a couple of teaspoons at a time from 1 cup of the hot cream, then increase to a steady stream until the cream is fully incorporated. (Don't pour too much hot cream at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.) The yolks are now tempered. Whisk the tempered yolks back into the remaining hot cream until combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or medium pitcher for easier pouring; discard the vanilla pods.
• Skim the foam off the top of the custard by placing a clean paper towel on top and lightly pressing down so it touches the surface and absorbs some of the liquid. This will make for a completely smooth and silky custard. Fill the ramekins with the custard, about 3/4 cup per ramekin.
• Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins without getting any water in the custard. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.
• Just before serving, evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the top of a custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above the surface. Starting in the center of the ramekin, move the flame in a circular motion and work your way out to the edges to caramelize the sugar. Repeat with the remaining sugar and custards.
• Alternatively, arrange a rack in the top position of the oven and heat the broiler on high. Place the ramekins on a rack set inside a baking sheet and broil until deep golden brown, 15 to 60 seconds, checking every 10 seconds.
• Freeze the custards for 5 minutes before serving (see Cook's Note).

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.

PERFECT CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Move a rack to the bottom of the oven.
• Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla together in a stainless steel bowl until smooth. Bring the cream just to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat; pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continually until combined.
• Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in an oven-safe saucepan over medium low heat; set the bowl with the cream mixture over the saucepan to form a double boiler.
• Place the entire double boiler into the preheated oven; bake until the mixture sets, about 30 minutes.
• Chill in refrigerator 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Combine the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of white sugar in a bowl; sprinkle evenly over the cold creme.
• Heat under the preheated broiler until the sugar melts and browns, 2 to 3 minutes; return immediately to the refrigerator and chill until the sugar is set, about 15 minutes.

BLACK-AND-WHITE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Position a rack in the lower third - but not the lowest position - of the oven.
• Put the cream and sugar in a large metal bowl and place it over simmering water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour one-half cup, plus three tablespoons, of the mixture into a small mixing bowl and set aside.
• Add the chopped chocolate to the remaining mixture in the metal bowl and stir gently over the simmering water until it melts. The mixture may look speckled, but this is normal. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat.
• Beat three of the egg yolks, using an electric mixer, until the yolks are light in color and doubled in volume. Using the lowest speed, add the chocolate mixture.
• Arrange four one-cup, oven-proof ramekins or custard cups in a shallow roasting pan. The cups should not touch. Pour about one-half inch of boiling water around the cups.
• Pour an equal amount of the chocolate mixture into each ramekin. Bake 40 minutes or until the custard is set but soft in the middle.
• Meanwhile, beat the remaining egg yolk slightly and add the reserved unflavored cream-and-sugar mixture. Spoon an equal portion of this mixture on top of each custard. Return to the oven for eight to 10 minutes or until set.
• Remove the ramekins and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Combine the brown sugar with enough of the boiling water to make a relatively thin, smooth paste. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread an equal portion of this mixture over the top of each custard. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Place them about three inches under the broiler heat. When the sugar bubbles and begins to brown, remove from the heat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

BLACK AND WHITE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Pour cream into heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolks. Strain custard into another large bowl. Transfer scant 2 cups custard to medium bowl. Immediately add chocolate to remaining custard in large bowl. Whisk mixture until chocolate melts and custard is smooth.
• Divide chocolate custard equally among eight 2/3-cup ramekins. Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custard is barely set in center, about 25 minutes. Transfer ramekins to baking sheet and refrigerate until tops of custards feel firm, about 30 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• Spoon vanilla custard evenly over chocolate custard, dividing equally among ramekins. Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until vanilla custard is barely set in center, about 35 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Arrange 4 ramekins on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each. Broil until sugar browns, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining 4 custards and 4 teaspoons sugar. Refrigerate custards at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

BLACK AND WHITE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• For the custard:
• In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and sugar. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture. Add the pod and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes, or until the mixture cools to room temperature. Discard the vanilla pod or reserve for another use.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork, then whisk into the milk mixture. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2- to 3-quart shallow gratin dish.
• Place the gratin dish in a large deep baking pan or a roasting pan. Pour enough very hot water into the pan to come three-quarters of the way up the gratin dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Check the custard by gently shaking the dish; the custard should be set but still move slightly. Test by inserting a knife into the custard; it should come out clean and almost dry. If necessary, cook the custard for 5 to 10 minutes longer, checking often.
• Carefully remove the gratin dish from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours overnight.
• For the mousse:
• Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and let sit in a warm spot until tepid or barely warm. (If the chocolate is too hot when added to the yolks, the yolks could curdle; if the chocolate is too cool, flakes of chocolate may form in the yolks.)
• The mousse is best made with a whisk or with a hand mixer; a stand mixer may not be able to whisk such a small quantity. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until a slowly dissolving ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted. Fold in the tepid chocolate. In a medium bowl, using a clean dry whisk or beaters, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and continue beating until barely stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.
• Spoon the chocolate mousse over the chilled custard, smoothing the top with a small offset spatula. Wipe the rim of the dish with a damp towel to remove any chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
• Thirty minutes before serving, remove the crème brûlée from the refrigerator.
• To caramelize the brûlée:
• Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the top of the mousse. If using a torch, work from one end of the dish to the other. Adjust the level of the torch as necessary to regulate the heat, moving the flame over the surface to caramelize the sugar. If using a broiler, place a rack on the highest level and preheat the broiler. Broil until the sugar is melted and caramelized, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully, and move or turn the dish as necessary for even caramelization.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat the cream, chocolate and vanilla pod in a pan until the chocolate has melted. Take off the heat and allow to infuse for 10 mins, scraping the pod seeds into the cream. If using the vanilla extract, add straight away. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
• Beat yolks and sugar until pale. stir in the chocolate cream. Strain into a jug and pour into ramekins. Place in a deep roasting tray and pour boiling water halfway up the sides. Bake for 15-20 mins until just set with a wobbly centre. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs.
• To serve, sprinkle some sugar on top of the brûlées and caramelise with a blowtorch or briefly under a hot grill. Leave caramel to harden, then serve.

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.