If you have been looking for a great Crème brulée recipe, this is your page.
Crème brulée is a luscious, creamy, custard-like dessert with a crunchy sugar candy topping. I always think of it as a more gourmet dessert, but you will be surprised at how easy it is.
It is similar to a flan custard, but instead of the flan’s caramel, this custard has a hard candy topping.
So here is how to make creme brulee perfectly each and every time:
You are simply making an egg custard with egg yolks, sugar and cream. You beat the yolks until they are light and fluffy then add in the sugar. Heat the cream (don’t boil) and gradually add it to the egg yolks. Add just a touch at first so you don’t cook the eggs. You can see from the directions that it’s relatively simple.
Crème brulée is very similar to a flan recipe, or a baked custard.
The main difference, other than the fact that this crème brulée is not baked, is the crusty sugar coating on the top.
The origins of the creme brulee recipe are a bit fuzzy. There are versions of it in French, British and Spanish cuisine. The current popularity of this gourmet dessert is said to have begun in a New York city restaurant, Le Cirque, in the 1980’s.
Creme Brulee Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks, large
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
Instructions
- Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until they are thick and lemon coloured. Gradually beat in the sugar.
- Heat the whipping cream in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat just until hot. Very gradually drizzle in at least half of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture and stir. Stir the yolk mixture back into the hot cream in the saucepan. Cook over low heat 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Do not boil.
- Pour the mixture into an ungreased pie plate 9 x 1 1/4 inches or into individual ramekins. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to set, but not longer than 24 hours.
- When you are ready to serve it, set the oven to broil. Sprinkle brown sugar over the custard. Broil, with the top 5 inches from the heat, for 3 minutes or until the sugar is melted and forms a glaze. Spoon fresh fruit over the top if desired.
- Makes 4 to 6 individual ramekins.
- Like all puddings and custards, any remaining dessert needs to be refrigerated.
- If you have a kitchen sized blowtorch, you can easily heat the sugar to a hard glaze stage without using the broiler.
Nutrition
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French Flan by ETIENNE Cloé (France ) Ingredients 1 liter of boiled milk 6 eggs 150 g sugar Preparation: 10 min Cooking time : 45 min Mix eggs and sugar. Stir in the cold milk and stir well. Flavour to your taste with vanilla . Bake for 45 minutes in moderate oven.