Five Spice Creme Brulee Spoonfuls 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.

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 BY THE SPOONFUL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a saucepan, slowly heat the cream and add the vanilla to the warmed cream.
• In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and the sugar.
• Whisk in the hot cream.
• Pour into three 150ml (2/3 cup) ramekins.
• Place the ramekins in a baking dish and add enough hot water to reach 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• The water should barely simmer, never boil.
• Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Just before serving, scoop a small amount of the custard into attractive (miso) soup spoons.
• Sprinkle with sugar and caramelize quickly using a blowtorch.
• Serve immediately with coffee.

LIGHTER CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Stir 2 tbsp of the sugar, the custard powder and cornflour in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp of the milk to make a smooth paste. Beat in the egg yolks with a fork until well combined. Pour the remaining milk into a pan, preferably non-stick, then pour in the cream. Slit the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the milk. Drop the pod into the pan and bring the creamy milk just to the boil - as soon as you see a few bubbles rising to the surface, remove from the heat.
• Slowly pour and stir the hot milk into the cornflour mix, including the vanilla pod, making sure the yolks are well blended in. Transfer to a clean pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, for about 15-20 mins until the mixture is very thick - when you drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan, it should leave a clean line. It should be much thicker after about 10 mins, but keep stirring until the mixture has thickened sufficiently to look like softly whipped cream or mayonnaise. Keep adjusting the heat so that the mixture does not come to the boil or overheat, as it may curdle and become lumpy. If this happens, beat the mixture smooth with a wire whisk.
• Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the vanilla pod. Stir in the crème fraîche and divide the mixture between 4 small ramekins (about 125-150ml capacity each). Spread the mixtures level, then chill, uncovered, overnight. By not covering them, a thin skin can form on top of the brûlées, which will help support the caramel layer.
• Before serving, spoon the remaining sugar over the top of each brûlée (allow 1½ tsp per ramekin) and smooth over with the back of the spoon. To caramelise, use a blowtorch. Hold the flame just above the sugar and keep it moving until evenly caramelised (don't take too long or you will heat up the custard too much). If the custard looks as though it has softened slightly, put the ramekins in the fridge for 5-10 mins to firm it up again. Serve while the caramel is still brittle.