Cardamom Spiced Light Creme Brulee Food

THREE SPICE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put six 8-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large, shallow baking dish.
• For the custard: Put the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, the cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cream comes to a bare simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of the remaining granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of the remaining light brown sugar in a medium bowl.
• Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Strain the custard into a pitcher or large measuring cup. Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Place the baking sheet in the oven, then carefully add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custards are just set at the sides and still wobbly in the center, about 30 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• For the garnish: While the custards cool, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until they are brown and toasty-smelling, about 10 minutes. Whip the cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• To assemble: Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar evenly over the tops of the custards. Using a kitchen torch, cook the tops until the sugar melts and turns deep amber. Allow the sugar to harden, about 2 minutes. Top each creme brulee with a dollop of whipped cream, 3 pecans, a fresh raspberry and a mint sprig, if using. Dust with some confectioners' sugar and serve.

SAFFRON CARDAMOM CREME BRULéE

Steps:

• Bang cardamom pods lightly in a mortar and pestle. Add cream, saffron strands and cardamom to a small saucepan. Scald the cream (heat it on moderately high heat until little bubbles are forming around the edge) - watch it like a hawk - you don't want it boiling and you don't want to waste your precious saffron. Take it off the fire. Cover the saucepan and leave it sit for 30 minutes. Scald it again and take off the fire the let it sit for another 30 minutes (you want the saffron steeping for a long time to extract as much of the flavor as possible).
• Pass the cream mixture though a fine sieve and discard the solids. If it's cooled down scald it once more.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar and rose water in a deep bowl. Whisk it with a fork to a paste. Temper in the cream mixture (slowly add the warm cream in while stirring so the egg mixture does not heat up too fast and start to cook).
• Pour the liquid into 3 or 4 ounce creme brulée ramekins and set up a bain marie - that is a water bath - you do this by placing the ramekins in a roasting or baking pan and add water to the pan so that it reaches almost as high as your custard level. Be careful not to let water get into the ramekins.
• Bake in the oven at 325 for about 30 minutes. It is done when it jiggles only slightly in the middle when the ramekin is tapped from the side. I recommend checking on it at 20 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter. It's hard to predict how long it will take. Remove from the oven and from the bain marie. Let cool on the countertop and once cooled down refrigerate.
• 5 minutes prior to serving take out of the fridge and dust the tops with sugar in the raw then get out your butane torch and burn the sugar going slowly from spot to spot.

CARDAMOM CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325°.
• 2. In a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
• 3. Place the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Warm just until little bubbles form around the edge. Remove from the heat and, whisking constantly, pour into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the cardamom and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
• 4. Pour the mixture through a very fine sieve into 6 crème brûlée dishes, filling them only half full. Place the dishes into a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them withough crowding. Place the dish on the middle rack of oven. Working quickly to preserve the heat, finish filling the dishes with the custard mixture, making sure that it comes right to the top of each dish. Then carefully fill the baking dish with very hot tap water so it comes halfway up the sides of the filled dishes. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the custard is set in the center.
• 5. Remove the custards to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until ready to use.
• 6. When ready to serve, preheat the broiler.
• 7. Pass the brown sugar through a fine sieve to eliminate all lumps. Generously sprinkle the top of each chilled custard with an equal portion of the brown sugar, taking care to cover all of the custard, so that it gives an even finish. Place the chilled crème brûlée dishes under the preheated broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, or until the tops are crackling brown. Remove from the broiler and serve immediately.
• Wine Suggestion:
• Royal Tokaji Red
• This quite sweet but well-balanced Tokaji is a stunning companion to this lightly spiced and very rich dessert.

CARDAMOM CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Note that you need to prepare these custards the day before you are serving them.
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• In a large roasting pan, place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the 3/4 cup white sugar and the egg yolks together; then whisk in the cardamom.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil; then, s-l-o-w-l-y whisk the hot cream into the yolk mixture (you don't want to curdle the yolks).
• Pour this custard evenly into the 6 ramekins.
• Have ready a kettle full of hot water.
• Open oven door, partially pull out rack, place roasting pan on rack, then pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Carefully slide rack back into oven, close door, and bake until custards are set in centre, about 40 minutes.
• Remove ramekins from roasting pan and cool; refrigerate overnight.
• Anywhere from one to six hours before serving time, preheat your broiler.
• Arrange ramekins on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 tsp white sugar onto each one.
• Broil until sugar browns; watch closely, it only takes about 2 minutes.
• If your broiler does not provide even heat, rotate ramekins halfway during broiling.
• Chill custards in refrigerator at least 1 hour, and for as long as six hours, before serving.