Silken Lemon Creme Brulee Food

LEMON CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• To medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the cream and heat until cream starts foaming around the edges. Do not boil.
• Remove the cream from heat and whisk in the lemon extract. Let cool slightly and as you prepare eggs.
• In a large bowl, whip the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest until pale yellow in color and slightly thicken. While stirring constantly, gradually add the hot cream mixture into the eggs mixture. Add the cream slowly to avoid cooking the eggs. Mix until combined.
• Pour equal amounts into 2 ramekins (6 ounces each). Transfer ramekins to a baking pan (9-inch or bigger) and fill baking pans with hot water about halfway up the sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until set but still jiggly in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, combine superfine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon sugar mixture over each ramekin.
• Using a torch, melt the sugar until golden brown. Or using an oven set to broil, broil for 30 seconds to a minute to melt the sugar. Be careful not to burn the sugar (like I did).
• Let cool until the sugar hardens. Serve with fresh strawberries.

LEMON CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large saucepan, heat cream until bubbles form around sides of pan; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and salt until blended but not foamy. Slowly stir in hot cream. Stir in lemon zest and extract., Place five 6-oz. broiler-safe ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Pour egg mixture into ramekins. Place pan on oven rack; add very hot water to pan to within 1/2 in. of top of ramekins. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (centers will still be soft), 45-50 minutes., Immediately remove ramekins from water bath to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cold., To caramelize topping with a kitchen torch, sprinkle custards evenly with remaining sugar. Hold torch flame about 2 in. above custard surface and rotate it slowly until sugar is evenly caramelized. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes before serving., To caramelize topping in a broiler, preheat broiler and place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Sprinkle custards evenly with remaining sugar. Broil 3-4 in. from heat until sugar is caramelized, 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes before serving.

SILKEN CREME BRULEE (WITH 12 VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Whisk together first 4 ingredients until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into 5 (5"x1") round ramekins or custard cups. Place cups in a large roasting pan or a 15x10" jellyroll pan. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1/2 inch. (Tip: All baking times are for 5"x1" round baking dishes. Adjust baking time more or less according to your cup size. See test for doneness in next paragraph.) As a general rule, 4 oz. cups yield 10 servings, 6 oz. cups yield 7 servings and 8 oz. cups yield 5 servings.).
• Bake at 300 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes or until almost set. Cool custards in water in pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove from pan; cover and chill 8 hours. (Tip: Baking times may need to be adjusted according to size of the baking cups. The creme brulee is done when the center is slightly liquid and a knife will NOT come out clean.).
• Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar over each custard then place custards in a jellyroll pan.
• Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat (if using an electric oven, leave door partially open) until sugar melts. (Tip: When you broil the brown sugar, get the creme brulee as close to the heating element as possible. You may need to place an inverted roasting pan on the top shelf of the oven; then place the brulee on a baking sheet on top to elevate. A chef's secret is to nestle the custards in a pan filled with ice; then broil. The ice keeps the custards cold while the sugar melts.) Let stand 5 minutes to allow sugar to harden. Garnish, if desired.
• ALMOND CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 additional egg yolk, 2 tablespoons almond liqueur and 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds to custard mixture. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 1 hour.
• CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE:.
• Cook 4 ounces semisweet chocolate squares and 1/2 cup whipping cream from the basic recipe in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups whipping cream; reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 55 minutes.
• BERRY CREME BRULEE:.
• Place 8 - 10 fresh blackberries or raspberries in each baking dish; pour custard mixture over berries. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 45 minutes.
• COFFEE CREME BRULEE:.
• Cook 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules and 1/4 cup whipping cream from the basic recipe over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes or until coffee dissolves. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups whipping cream; reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Proceed as directed in the basic recipe; bake 45 - 50 minutes.
• DOUBLE RASPBERRY CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspooon; add 1 additional egg yolk and 1 1/2 tablespoon raspberry liqueur to custard mixture. Place 8 - 10 fresh raspberries in each baking dish; pour custard mixture over berries. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 55 minutes.
• GINGER CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger to custard mixture. Proceed as directed in the basic recipe; bake 1 hour and 5 minutes.
• ORANGE CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 additional egg yolk, 2 tablespoons grated orange rind and 2 tablespoons almond liqueur to custard mixture. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 1 hour.
• PEPPERMINT CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon; add 1 additional egg yolk and 3 tablespoons peppermint schnapps. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 50 minutes. Substitute 5 hard peppermint candies, crushed (in place of brown sugar); broil as directed.
• WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA CREME BRULEE:.
• Cook 4 ounces white chocolate and 1/2 cup whipping cream froom basic recipe in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups whipping cream; reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Proceed as directed in basic recipe. Place 1 tablespoon chopped macadamias, toasted, in each dish then pour custard over nuts. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• ONION CREME BRULEE:.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over low heat; add 1 cup coarsely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes or until caramelized. Reduce sugar in basic recipe to 1 tablespoon, omit vanilla and add 1 teaspoon salt and caramelized onion to the custard mixture. Process onion mixture in a blender until smooth. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 50 minutes.
• ROASTED GARLID CREME BRULEE:.
• Cut off the flat end of 2 garlic bulbs and spread apart whole cloves, leaving tight outer covering intact. Trim pointed end so bulb will sit flat. Place garlic bulbs, trimmed ends down, on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil; wrap in aluminum foil. Bake 350 dgrees for 1 hour; cool. Squeeze out pulp from each garlic clove. Reduce sugar in basic recipe to 1 tablespoon; omit vanilla and add 1 teaspoon salt and garlic pulp to custard mixture. Process mixture in a blender until smooth. Proceed as directed in basic reicpe; bake 40 minutes.
• BLUE CHEESE AND BLACK PEPPER CREME BRULEE:.
• Reduce sugar in basic recipe to 1 tablespoon and omit vanilla; add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup blue cheese and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to custard mixture. Process mixture in a blender until smooth. Proceed as directed in basic recipe; bake 45 minutes.

LEMON CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 300°F.
• Line a shallow baking pan with a kitchen towel.
• Have a pot of boiling water ready.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lemon juice to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the juice is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
• In another saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, lemon zest and the 1/2 cup sugar.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until steam rises, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk together the vanilla and egg yolks until smooth and combined.
• Slowly add the cream mixture, whisking constantly, then stir in the reduced lemon juice.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and divide among six 3 1/2 ounce ramekins.
• Place the ramekins in the prepared baking pan and add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack.
• Cool the custards to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate for 3 hours.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the surface of each custard.
• Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer's instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns.
• Serve immediately.

LEMON CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325῰F.
• Finely grate 2 tablespoons zest from lemons into cream in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in 7 tablespoons turbinado sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat mixture over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until almost boiling, then remove from heat.
• Lightly beat yolks in a bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a quart-size glass measure and stir in vanilla and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Divide among ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and bake in a water bath until custards are just set around edge but centers wobble when pan is gently shaken, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool custards in water bath 20 minutes, then remove from pan and chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. (Custards will set completely as they chill.) Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar evenly over each custard, then move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth close to sugar until sugar is caramelized. Let stand until caramel is hardened, 3 to 5 minutes.