Coffee Brandy Crème Brûlée Food

COFFEE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Cut your vanilla beans open in half lengthwise then use the non-sharp side of a knife to scrape out the vanilla beans. If using vanilla bean paste skip this step.
• In a thick-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat cook the heavy cream, vanilla beans or paste, espresso powder, and 50 grams (1/4 cup) of the sugar. Stirring constantly, cook until mixture comes to a boil. Then take off heat and place lid on and let steep for 10 minutes.
• In a large roasting pan place 4-6 (6-8oz) ramekins inside and put the kettle on to boil and preheat the oven to 325F/163C.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or large bowl with a whisk beat the remaining 50 grams (1/4 cup) and egg yolks until fully combined and much lighter in color, a pale yellow.
• Remove vanilla bean pods from the cream mixture and slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture with the whisk attachment on at the lowest speed. Take your time doing this so the eggs do not curdle. Once completely mixed pour the mixture through a sieve to prevent any lumps. Then evenly pour into ramekins. Pour boiling water from the kettle in the roasting pan, pour enough to come up halfway of the ramekins- being careful not to spill.
• Bake for 25-40 minutes*, you want the center of the creme brulee's to be set but a little bit jiggle, around 170F/71C degrees, I use an instant-read thermometer for this my Thermapen MK4. When ready take out of the oven and place the roasting pan on a wire rack. After five minutes remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Wrap ramekins in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill before serving.
• When ready to serve sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of sugar on top of each creme brulee swirling the ramekin so the sugar is spread evenly and using a kitchen torch, torch the top of the creme brulee until the sugar has caramelized and hardened. Serve immediately with berries if desired.

COFFEE-BRANDY CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine cream and 1/4 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan; bring almost to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add coffee and whisk to dissolve. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm cream mixture, then brandy and vanilla. Strain custard into 4-cup measuring cup; pour into ramekins, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until center moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 35 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours, then cover and keep chilled overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Arrange custards on baking sheet. Press 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar through strainer onto each custard, forming even layer. Broil 6 inches from heat source until sugar melts, bubbles and caramelizes, watching carefully and rotating sheet for even browning, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate custards until sugar topping hardens, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving.

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.

COFFEE-BRANDY CREAM BRULEE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange 6 (about 3/4-cup size) ramekins or use custard cups in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan combine cream and 1/4 cup sugar; bring almost to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves; remove from heat and add in the coffee granules, whisk to dissolve the granules.
• In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks; gradually whisk in the warm cream mixture, then the brandy and vanilla.
• Strain the custard into a 4-cup measuring cup (use a larger measuring cup if you are doubling the recipe) then divide/pour the mixture evenly between the ramekins or custard cups.
• Pour enhough HOT water into the 13x9 pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake the custards until center moves only slighty when the pan is shaken gently (about 35 minutes).
• Remove the ramekins from the pan; cool slightly and then place in refrigerator (uncovered) for 3 hours.
• Remove from fridge, cover with plastic wrap, and continue to chill overnight.
• The following day: Preheat the broiler.
• Arrange the ramekins on a small sheet.
• Shake about 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar through a small strainer onto the top of each custard forming a layer.
• Broil about 6 inches from heat until the sugar melts, bubbles and carmalizes (watch closely and rotate the sheet for even browning (about 3-4 minutes).
• Refrigerate custards until sugar topping gets hard, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before serving.

COFFEE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a medium-size bowl, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar with a whisk for approximately 1 minute, or until smooth. Reserve.
• In a second medium-size bowl, add coffee and 1/4 cup creme. Whisk thoroughly until smooth, then add remaining creme and whisk until well blended. Add coffee creme mixture and vanilla to egg yolks. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold together.
• Use a ladle to pour mixture into individual ramekins, 3/4 of the way to the
• top.
• Place ramekins into a roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Before closing oven
• door, pour water into pan (but not into the ramekins themselves!) until it
• reaches 1/2 way up the side of the ramekins.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until when you shake the pan, the brulee giggles slightly. Remove from oven and leave out on counter, allowing the residual heat of the water to finish the cooking process.
• When brulees have fully solidified and cooled down, sprinkle 1 1/2
• tablespoons of sugar evenly overtop each individual portion. Under a watchful eye, use a small blowtorch to caramelize the sugar.
• Alternatively, place ramekins 1-inch below oven broiler until sugar caramelizes.

CAFé BRULé (COFFEE)

Steps:

• Prepare espresso with premium-grade arabica beans in a long espresso cup. Hold a large spoon containing 1 lump of sugar and 1 tbsp of brandy over each cup and light the brandy. Pour into the coffee when the flames begin to die down and serve with creme brulee.

COFFEE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Place eight 3/4-cup custard cups in large roasting pan. Combine cream, 1 cup sugar, ground espresso beans, instant espresso powder and cinnamon stick in heavy large saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture; add bean. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar and espresso powder dissolve. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 30 minutes. Strain through fine sieve.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk egg yolks and egg in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Divide among custard cups in pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake custards until center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Cool; refrigerate uncovered overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard. Place custard cups on baking sheet. Broil until sugar is brown and caramelized, rotating baking sheet to broil evenly and watching closely to avoid burning, 1 to 2 minutes. Chill custards 1 hour. Serve.