Salted Almond Creme Brulee Food

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.

CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place six (8-ounce) ramekins in a roasting pan large enough to hold them completely flat.
• In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a medium saucepan. Off the heat, add the chocolate and espresso and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Slowly whisk the cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk in the coffee liqueur and vanilla. Transfer to a large measuring cup and pour into the prepared ramekins until full.
• Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough of the hottest tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the custards are set on the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on each custard. With a kitchen blowtorch held one inch from the surface of the creme, heat the sugar until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

OATMEAL CRèME BRûLéE WITH ALMOND AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter six small ramekins or brûlée dishes. Mix oatmeal, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon zest together. Divide among ramekins; smooth surface of mixture.
• In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, granulated sugar, almonds and remaining orange zest. Heat, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes or until mixture is hot and sugar has dissolved (do not boil). Turn off heat and let infuse 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Strain cream mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly; discard solids. Ladle cream and egg mixture into ramekins atop oatmeal. Transfer to a baking dish and pour in enough warm water to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until custards jiggle slightly when dish is moved and center is slightly runny; be careful not to overcook. Remove from water bath and cool. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, evenly sprinkle each ramekin with about 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Using a kitchen torch or under very hot broiler, carefully caramelize sugar until amber brown. Serve immediately or chill again, uncovered, up to 4 hours.

ALMOND CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Heat cream in a heavy saucepan.
• Add granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Beat egg yolks until light and creamy.
• Add t he hot cream to the egg yolks gradually, whipping constantly with a wire whisk (not an electric beater). Stir in remaining ingredients except the brown sugar.
• Pour into a 6-cup souffle dish, and sprinkle brown sugar on top.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, or until custard tests done. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : This is not for anyone on a low cal, low fat, or low cholesterol diet.

SALTED CARAMEL CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt the sugar but do not let it burn. It should turn a deep brown. You will need to stir constantly, and may need to remove the pan from the heat occasionally to keep it from burning.
• Once the sugar is melted, add the cream and salt and continue heating on low until all the sugar is dissolved into the cream. Make sure the cream doesn't boil.
• Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and SLOWLY pour in the cream, mixing with a fork. Try not to whip any air into the mixture. Also, be sure to pour slowly or you will end up cooking the egg in the hot cream.
• Pour evenly into 3 ramekins and place in a water bath (use a lasagna pan filled partway with water). You want the water bath to come about halfway up the ramekins.
• Bake at 350 for anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. The time will depend on the shape of the ramekins (wide ramekins cook more quickly than narrow ones). Custard is done when it is set but still jiggly in the center. Check after 30 minutes, and then every 5-10 minutes until done.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
• When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and top with a couple teaspoons of sugar. Caramelize with a blowtorch or place under the broiler for a minute or two. If using the broiler method, keep a constant watch on them to avoid burning the sugar.

ORANGE-ALMOND CREME BRULEE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the crusts: Pulse flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. Whisk together egg, yolk, and water. With machine running, quickly add egg mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together. Press dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Set six 4-inch tart rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out six 6-inch circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of tart rings, patching any holes or tears, leaving an overhang at the top of each. Prick bottoms of tart shells all over with a fork, and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim excess dough flush with edges of rings using a knife.
• Bake, pressing down dough if puffing, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Make orange caramelized almonds: Remove zest from orange in strips using a vegetable peeler; reserve for filling. Cut away pith; slice fruit along membranes to release segments into a bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl; discard. Reserve half the segments for another use; coarsely chop remaining segments.
• Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, washing down sides of pan. Cook, swirling often, until sugar is pale amber and starts to caramelize. Add almonds, and stir to toast. Cook until medium to dark amber in color. Add orange and juice and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat, and stir until smooth.
• Make the filling: Bring cream and reserved orange zest to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; cover, and let stand for 2 hours. Spread 1 tablespoon orange caramelized almonds in a flat, even layer onto bottom of each tart shell (you will have more almonds than needed to cover the tart shell bottoms; reserve remaining almonds for another use). Freeze tart shells until caramel is firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bring cream to just under a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk cream into egg mixture. Strain through a fine sieve; discard zest.
• Divide cream mixture evenly among tart shells, filling each to the top. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just set, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour to set.
• Sprinkle tops with sugar. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of each tart, and move flame back and forth until sugar is caramelized and deep golden brown, or broil until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately.