Ginger Creme Brulee Food

GINGER CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put the cream, ginger, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cover, remove from the heat, and steep for 20 minutes. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put twelve 4-oz. ramekins or teacups in a roasting pan or baking dish that's at least as deep as the ramekins. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and 1/4 cup of the sugar until smooth and combined. Lightly whisk about 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolk mixture and then gradually whisk in the remaining cream mixture. Stir rather than whip with the whisk-you don't want a frothy mixture, or the baked custards will have a foamy-looking surface. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large Pyrex measuring cup or a heatproof bowl with a spout. Divide the custard among the ramekins. Slowly pour hot water from the kettle into the baking pan (don't get any water in the ramekins) until it comes about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the custards are set around the edges but still slightly jiggly (like Jell-O) in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate the custards uncovered. Once the custards are refrigerator-cold, wrap each ramekin with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days before proceeding. To serve, sprinkle 1-1/2 tsp. of the remaining sugar evenly over each custard. Wipe any sugar off the rim of the ramekins. Light a mini blowtorch and hold the flame 2 to 3 inches from the top of the custard, slowly gliding it back and forth over the surface until the sugar melts and turns a deep golden brown. Allow the sugar to cool and harden for a few minutes, and then serve immediately.

BANANA, GINGER, AND BERRY CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Warm half-and-half in a saucepan until almost boiling and set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until mixture turns pale. Slowly beat in small amounts of warm half-and-half until all is incorporated. Set custard mixture aside. Peel 1 1/2 bananas and slice thin, reserving other 1/2 banana for later. Wash berries.
• Place some banana slices and a few berries in the bottom of 8 individual ramekins or custard cups. Sprinkle ground ginger evenly over bananas in each cup. Pour custard over fruit in each cup.
• Place ramekins in baking pan. Add water to about halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake for 1 hour or until tops are golden. Cool in refrigerator. Top each cooled ramekin with a few slices of the remaining banana. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place ramekins under broiler until sugar is melted and brown.
• Garnish with remaining berries and 1 or 2 leaves of fresh mint.

GINGER CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine cream and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. Strain cream into small bowl, pressing on solids in sieve. Whisk yolks and 1 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm cream. Divide custard among eight 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough warm water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards just until set in center when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. Remove custards from water bath; chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours. Cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Place custards on baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of remaining sugar. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, turning sheet for even browning, about 1 minute. Refrigerate custards until topping is cold and brittle, about 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Garnish custards with strawberries and mint and serve.

GINGER CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Mix egg yolks, eggs and 6 ounces of sugar until combined. Heat the cream to scalding, add ginger and gradually pour into egg mixture, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and salt.
• Using creme brulee molds or another baking ramekin evenly distribute mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish and fill dish half way up with water, creating a water bath.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes or until set. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of molds after they have cooled. Place molds under broiler to caramelize sugar. Garnish with mint leaves.

ORANGE GINGER CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put the zest and ginger in the cream and heat to just below simmering. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Strain out the zest and ginger.
• Meanwhile cream the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Add the cream very slowly mixing constantly. If you add it too quickly the egg yolk will cook from the heat of the cream. Try not to incorporate any air into the mix as you stir, air bubbles will detract from the smooth texture of the final product.
• Divide the mixture between 4 to 6 ramekins (will depend on the size of your ramekins). Place these in a lasagna pan and carefully pour water into the pan so that it comes up the outsides of the ramekins about 3/4 of the way up.
• Carefully put this pan in the oven. If you spill water into the ramekins it won't set -- don't spill!
• Bake about half an hour, or until the custards are set but still jiggly.
• Remove from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Allow to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle about a half tablespoon of sugar onto the custard. Spread it around evenly with a spoon or your finger, then use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. It should melt and brown a bit, but not burn. You can attempt to use the broiler in your oven to caramelize the sugar, but I have not had good success with this.
• Eat immediately. If you let them sit the sugar crust can pull water out of the custard and dissolve. Then you're eating flan, not creme brulee!

GINGER CHILE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
• Add the cream, liqueur, gingerroot, and chiles.
• Place the mixture in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water.
• Stir constantly for 30 to 45 minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
• Remove the custard from heat and strain into a large, clean bowl.
• The custard will thicken as it cools. Chill for a least 2 hours or overnight; divide among 6 5-oz custard cups.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard and caramelize with brulee torch or under broiler. Place in refrigerator and chill for a few minutes before serving.

LEMON-GINGER CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, heat the cream, 1/3 cup sugar and ginger until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from the heat; stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in extracts., Transfer to six 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place in a baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours., Combine brown sugar and remaining sugar. If using a creme brulee torch, sprinkle custards with sugar mixture. Heat sugar with the torch until caramelized. Serve immediately., If broiling the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Broil 8 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

GINGER AND VANILLA BEAN CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes* in each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
• Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
• Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• Make Crème Brûlée:
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
• Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.
• *Four-inch-diameter fluted clear glass flan dishes are available at cookware stores and many hardware stores. They are about 2/3 inch deep and hold about 1/2 cup liquid.
• **Available at some cookware stores.

RHUBARB & GINGER CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put the rhubarb in a pan with the sugar and chopped ginger. Cook over a low heat for 10 mins or until the rhubarb has softened and begun to break down. Mix a little of the rhubarb juice with the cornflour in a small bowl, then pour into the pan and stir until thickened. Pour into the base of a round roughly 20cm dish. Leave to cool completely.
• For the custard, pour the double cream, sugar and vanilla pod (as well as the scraped-out seeds) into a pan and bring to a simmer. Scoop out the pod and discard. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and gradually pour over the simmering cream, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over a low heat, continuously stirring, for around 10 mins until it reaches 86C on a cooking thermometer, or is thickened. Pour over the cooled rhubarb, smooth to an even layer and chill overnight.
• Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top and caramelise using a blowtorch until deep golden brown. Serve.