Creme Brûlée Food

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Use 6-oz. ramekins.
• Heat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat the cream or cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until scalded (you'll see small bubbles on the sides of the pan).
• Split the vanilla bean in half, if using, and scrape the seeds into the cream.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, slowly whisk the sugar and salt into the egg yolks.
• Slowly temper the hot cream into the sugar/yolk mixture.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher or measuring cup.
• Stir in vanilla extract if using.
• Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish with deep sides, pour the mixture into the ramekins, Fill the baking dish with water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and cover the dish with foil.
• Bake until just set, 25 to 50 min.
• Remember to start checking early; baking time will depend on the thickness and depth of your ramekins and baking dish.
• Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath.
• Remove, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Topping: sprinkle a light layer of sugar over each cold creme brulee just before serving.
• Caramelize either using a propane torch by passing over the sugar or putting under a broiler.

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.

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 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. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until they are pale yellow and thickened. Whisk the warm cream into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until mixed in. Pour the custard into six 8-ounce custard dishes.
• Put the custard dishes in a deep baking dish lined with a tea towel. Pour in boiling water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the custard dishes. Bake until the custard is firm but still wiggles, about 40 minutes. Remove from the water bath and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour
• Preheat the broiler. Top each custard with an even layer of turbinado sugar and broil until the sugar melts and bubbles.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
• Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
• Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

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.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In top of double boiler over hot water, heat cream, vanilla bean and sugar to almost boiling.
• Lower heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat eggs and egg yolks.
• Pour cream mixture in a thin stream into eggs, stirring constantly.
• Return to double boiler.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes or until custard coats back of spoon.
• Remove vanilla bean.
• Pour into 6 custard dishes or 4 to 5 cup flame proof serving dish.
• Set dishes in a large pan of hot water on middle rack of oven.
• (Hot water should be level with custard.) Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until center of custard is set. Remove custard from water and cool.
• Cover and chill.
• To serve, sift brown sugar on top of creme. Place dish into bowl of crushed ice. Leaving door open, place under broiler at least 6" from flame until hard crust of caramelized sugar is formed.
• Serve immediately or chill until serving time. Pass bowl of fresh raspberries along with creme for the perfect topping.
• Add a spoonful of whipped creme to the custard, if desired.
• VARIATIONS, FLAVORED CREME BRULEE:.
• Vanilla Bean:.
• Add 1 pod for 3 cups of cream.
• Break it open lengthwise or simply pierce it, and put it into liquid before it boils.
• Chocolate:.
• Add 4 1/2 oz cooking chocolate for each 3 cups of cream, melted in warm liquid.
• Praline:.
• Add 4 1/2oz pralines to each 3 cups of cream after it is cooked.
• Nuts:.
• Add 1 cup finely chopped pecans or brazil nuts for 3 cups cream after it is cooled.
• Coffee:.
• Use 3 oz coffee beans (Espresso, French Roast, etc -- ) finely ground, then grilled in a pan of 3 cups cream.
• Add to boiling liquid; infuse for 15 minutes, then strain.
• Bananas:.
• Mash 2 soft bananas; saute in 1 tbsp butter.
• Add 2 tbsp brandy and 2 tsp brown sugar.
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Pat down on bottom of creme brulee pan before adding liquid.
• NOTES :.
• Use a double boiler to scald the cream unless you have a heavy saucepan. Use very low heat. Milk scorches easily and, when scorched, should be thrown out.
• Beat eggs or egg yolks with a wire whisk or beater. Add sugar gradually and continue whipping until it is thoroughly mixed inches.
• NEVER add eggs directly to a hot mixture. (unless you like scrambled eggs in cream.) Pour some of the hot liquid into the eggs while stirring briskly, then return the warmed combination to the remaining hot liquid in the pan.
• Stir the custard constantly over low heat until it acquires body. Test it by letting it run off the back of a spoon; if a light coating clings to the spoon, the custard is finished.
• Stir the custard occasionally as it cools to prevent a surface skin from forming. When it is cool, chill it, covered lightly with a clean dish towel, in the refrigerator.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar. Add in vanilla.
• While stirring continuously, gradually pour cream mixture into egg mixture until well mixed.
• Pour the mixture through a sieve.
• Evenly pour the mixture into eight 2 oz.sized ramekins.
• Set ramekins into a large pan enough to fit all 8 ramekins. Fill the pan with hot water until it comes up to about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for 18 minutes or until the sides are set and the center is hardly jiggling.
• Let cool on wire racks then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Before serving, sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar onto each of the ramekins then caramelize with a torch.

STRAWBERRY CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Place 8 (1 cup) ramekins in a large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. The hot water keeps the humidity up in the oven, preventing the custards from cracking.
• In a large bowl, whisk together yolks and vanilla until combined, set aside.
• In a large saucepan, over medium heat, bring cream and 3/4 cup sugar to a simmer, whisking frequently; remove pan from heat and stir in white chocolate until melted. Slowly whisk hot cream into yolks until well combined. Evenly sprinkle strawberries into each ramekin and then slowly pour cream into each ramekin, over the strawberries, using a ladle. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until just set.
• Transfer ramekins to a wire rack and cool 30 minutes before transferring to refrigerator to chill completely; about 2 hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over each custard, caramelize the top surface using a kitchen torch and serve with strawberries on the side. If you don't have a torch, place ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil for one to two minutes in the oven, until sugar caramelizes, but does not burn.

EASY CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• Whisk the cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Mix it all up until it gets nice and creamy.
• Pour this mixture into 4 ramekins (those little ceramic dishes).
• Place the ramekins in a baking pan. Fill the baking pan with hot water, about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan with the ramekins in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or so. After 45 minutes or so check them every ten minutes. You'll know they're done when you can stick a knife in one and it comes out clean.
• Remove the ramekins from the baking pan, set them on the counter, and let them cool for 15 minutes or so.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of the light brown sugar on the top of each. Make sure it's a THIN layer, but also make sure it completely covers the custard. Now torch it! Or, if you don't have a torch, you can put them under the broiler for a minute or so.