Citrus Creme Brulée Napoleon Food

LEMON CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• With a fine grater, zest 2 lemons . Set the lemon zest aside and then juice 1 lemon. Refrigerate the second zested lemon for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 325 F.
• Place six 4-ounce ramekins or four 6-ounce ramekins in a large baking pan or roasting pan.
• Put the heavy cream and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the finely grated lemon zest-about 2 tablespoons-to the cream. Heat until the cream begins to simmer.
• While the cream is heating, beat the egg yolks and salt in a small bowl.
• Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks.
• Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the mixture along with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Divide the cream mixture evenly among the 6 ramekins.
• Add boiling water to a depth of about halfway up the ramekins.
• Bake the custards for about 30 minutes, or until the creme brulee has only a slight jiggle in the center when moved.
• Remove the pan from the oven and leave the ramekins in the water bath for 15 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the pan. Discard the water from the pan and place the ramekins back in the pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
• Just before serving, top the custards with about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of superfine or raw sugar. Gently rotate the ramekin on the countertop to distribute the sugar evenly over the top. Slowly caramelize the sugar with a blow torch or a kitchen torch. The edges of the ramekins will get hot as you caramelize the sugar, so wear an oven mitt to move them.
• Alternatively, you may place the sugar topped custards in a pan and place the pan under a preheated broiler. Broil just until the sugar has caramelized , rotating the pan about halfway through. Watch carefully.
• Gather the ingredients.
• With a vegetable peeler, remove the outer yellow peel from a large lemon. Slice the strips of lemon into thin strips.
• Put the lemon peel in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Drain.
• To the lemon peel in the saucepan, add 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of fresh water. Place the pan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the peels appear translucent. Drain and arrange the peels in a single layer on a sheet of parchment paper to cool.
• Toss the cooled lemon peel with about 1/4 cup of sugar to coat. Use to garnish desserts.
• Enjoy!

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
• Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

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.

CRèME BRûLéE NAPOLEON WITH BOURBON CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• To make the custard: Preheat the oven to 325 F. In the metal bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat lightly. Add the cream and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the eggs with the tip of a knife. Continue to beat until thickened. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a shallow pan that has been filled with plastic wrap. Place the pan containing the custard into a larger pan. Fill the bottom pan halfway with water, being careful not to wet the custard, and set in the preheated oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard is set and firm to the touch. (A cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean without any milky residue.) Remove from the oven and refrigerate until cool. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat the broiler or ready a blowtorch. Invert the custard onto the back of a sheet pan, and cut into 2- inch squares. Sprinkle the squares liberally with sugar and brown under the broiler or with a blowtorch. To prepare the phyllo pastry: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an inverted baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the baking sheet. (Keep the remaining dough covered with a towel to keep it moist.) Lightly brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter, sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar, and top with another sheet of phyllo. Brush again with the melted butter and sprinkle with more sugar. Place a second sheet pan on top and weight it down with a cast- iron skillet or any heavy ovenproof object. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown. To make the bourbon crème anglaise: In a medium heavy saucepan whisk the egg yolks over the low heat until they are pale in color. Whisk in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then continue to whisk until the mixture reaches the consistency of cake batter. Whisk in the milk and vanilla bean, if using, then stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the custard coats the spoon and a line drawn down the back of the spoon remains visible. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bourbon, and remove the vanilla pods. If the custard is to be chilled, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, or dot the top with bits of optional butter. Chill the custard for up to 2 days. To assemble the napoleon: In the center of each serving plate place a square of crème brûlée (custard) and top with a phyllo square. Repeat the procedure until the napoleons are stacked 4 layers high. Ladle the crème anglaise around the napoleons and garnish with fresh berries and mint sprigs

CITRUS CREME BRULéE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Cut the puff pastry into strips about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long--score and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.
• Combine the 1 egg and 1 egg yolk to create a egg wash.
• Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash and dust with powdered sugar, Bake in a 350°F- 400°F oven until golden brown and 'puffed'.
• Allow puff to cool then slice in half through the center of the puff, creating a puff 'sandwich'.
• Remove the zest from the orange; split and scrape the vanilla bean.
• In a thick-bottom sauce pot scald the cream, orange zest, and vanilla bean together.
• In a bowl combine the sugar and 5 egg yolks together.
• Temper the hot cream mixture into the egg/ sugar mixture the return to the sauce pan.
• Cook the creme until nape` (it coats the back of a wooden spoon).
• Place into a casserole dish/hotel pan of any size that will allow there to be a layer of creme brulée on the bottom about 1 inch thick.
• Back in a 350°F oven in a water bath until firm (jiggles only slightly when the pan is shaken). Remove from the water bath and allow to cool.
• To assemble: Place the bottom half of a puff 'sandwich' on a plate.
• Using a thin spatula place a layer of the creme brulée onto the puff (it doesn't have to look pretty as we'll be covering it soon).
• On top of the creme brulée place a single layer of roasted fruit, so that the wedges overhang the creme brulée on either side.
• Place the top of the puff pastry on and dust with powdered sugar.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan cook the cream with the vanilla bean and salt over moderate heat until the surface begins to shimmer.
• In a large heatproof bowl, blend the egg yolks and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the hot cream mixture, stirring gently. Strain the custard into a large measuring cup; skim off any bubbles.
• Arrange 8 shallow 4 1/2-inch wide ramekins in a roasting pan (see note). Slowly pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them almost to the top. Set the roasting pan in the center of the oven and carefully pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the custards are firm at the edges, but still a bit wobbly in the center.
• Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
• Preheat the broiler. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and blot the surfaces of the custards to remove any condensation. Using a small sieve, sift 2 teaspoons of the turbinado sugar over each custard in a thin, even layer. Broil the custards as close to the heat as possible until the sugar is evenly caramelized, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve at once.

RASPBERRY BRûLéE

Steps:

• Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into a pan with the lemon zest and cream. Toss the pod in too. Heat until just before the cream boils - tiny bubbles will be forming at the edges. Turn off the heat and infuse for 15 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put four ramekins into a roasting tin and fill the tin with boiling water so that about 2cm of the ramekins is uncovered.
• Divide the raspberries between the ramekins, reserving a few. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar, using an electric whisk, until very pale and fluffy, about 3 mins. Remove the zest and vanilla pod from the cooled cream, then slowly stir it into the egg mixture. Transfer to a jug and pour through a sieve into the ramekins, then top with the reserved raspberries. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until the custard forms a skin and holds a slight wobble when you nudge the tray. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs.
• If you don't have a blowtorch, heat the grill to high. Sprinkle demerara sugar over each ramekin and either use a blowtorch to caramelise the top or place them under the grill until the sugar has melted and crisped. Allow to settle for 5 mins before serving.

EASY STRAWBERRY 'NAPOLEON'

Steps:

• Mix pudding mix and milk-(skim or low fat is fine) and beat on low for 2 minutes.
• Fold in Cool Whip- can be low or non fat.
• Place 12 crackers in bottom of 8" square dish to cover bottom, break crackers if needed. Breaking also helps disguise the saltines.
• Top with 1/3 of the pudding mix.
• Repeat to create a total of three layers of crackers and three layers of pudding.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Just before serving top with cleaned and sliced berries.
• Note: Vanilla and strawberries are my favorite combo but try with different types of fresh fruit using what is in season. Also try different pudding flavors keeping in mind that lighter colors disguise the saltines the best!

MINI STRAWBERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minute Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 strips along fold marks. Cut each strip into 4 rectangles.
• Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake 15 minute or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.
• Prepare pudding mix according to package directions except use 1 cup milk. Fold in whipped cream.
• Split pastries into 2 layers (cut one by one layers in half horizontally, it's puffy when finish baking), making 24 layers in all. Set aside 8 top layers.
• Spread 8 bottom layers with 2 tablespoons pudding mixture. Top with 1 tablespoons strawberries and another layer. Spread with remaining pudding. Top with remaining strawberries and top layers.
• Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and garnish with extra strawberries on top! (I added this one.)
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
• Make 8 Napoleons.
• *For 1 ½ cups sweetened whipped cream, beat ¾ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract in chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. (You can use electrical mixer and use low power and then gradually go high to form the stiff peaks).

CREMA CATALANA

Steps:

• In a pot, beat together the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until thoroughly blended and the mixture turns frothy.
• Add the cinnamon stick and grated lemon rind.
• Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of the cold milk, when well mixed return it to the remaining 2 cups of milk.
• Pour in the milk.
• Slowly heat the mixture, stirring constantly, just until thickened.
• Remove pot from heat immediately.
• Tip: As soon as the mixture thickens and you feel resistance while stirring, remove the pot from the heat or the mixture may curdle or separate! The texture of the finished crema will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy, this is as it should be.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the milk mixture into 4 ramekins (individual serving size).
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
• Before serving, preheat the broiler.
• Remove ramekins with the crema catalana from refrigerator and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin.
• When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf and allow the sugar to caramelize, turning gold and brown.
• This may take 10 minutes or so, depending on your broiler. Remove and serve immediately.
• If you'd like, you can serve the crema catalana chilled, but we think it has more flavor when served warm from the broiler.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Thaw the frozen puff pastry by placing it in room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Once thawed, unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 3 strips along the fold mark.
• Cut each of the 3 strips into 4 rectangles; you will have a total of 12 same sized rectangles.
• Place the pastry rectangles on a baking sheet about an inch apart and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the pastry cool.
• In the meantime, make the vanilla pudding according to the package directions using the cold milk.
• Fold in the whipped cream into the set vanilla pudding.
• Now break apart each pastry rectangle into 2 layers - top and bottom; you now have 24 rectangles.
• Keep aside 8 top layers.
• Line up 8 bottom parts and spoon ½ of the vanilla mixture on them, dividing equally between the 8 pastries.
• Top with strawberry slices and another piece of pastry.
• Repeat with the remaining vanilla mixture and strawberry slices.
• Top with the reserved pastry tops.
• Garnish with a few slices of strawberry and a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Either serve immediately or the patries can be refrigerated for upto 3 hours.
• Note that the preparation time does not include time to thaw the pastry.

NATILLA - CUBAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Bring milk, cinnamon, zest & salt to a boil.
• Set aside to cool.
• Dissolve cornstarch in the water.
• Beat together diluted cornstarch, yolks & sugar.
• Add in the milk mixture.
• Strain.
• Cook in double boiler (preferred) or over medium flame stirring constantly until it thickens.
• Stir in vanilla & transfer to serving dish.
• Powder with cinnamon.