CREME BRULEE
NO BLOW TORCH REQUIRED
By Simbooker on the 20th September 2017
Files & Tags: recipes, index, desserts, english/british
This is one of my absolute favorite desserts; rich, decadent and creamy with just a hint of Vanilla.
Creme Brulee is a decadent rich creamy dessert made from custard that has been set, with a hard caramel sugar based topping. It has been mistaken for a French dessert but its actually an English dessert, originating in Cambridge.
The dessert was given a French name; probably to make it sound fancy and appealing, and many online sources claim it as French in origin, but its actually English in origin as many desserts are.
Creme Brulee is actually really easy to make and doesn't require a blow torch you can just harden the sugar on top under an extremely hot oven. If you have a blow torch by all means use it, but I don't want you to feel that you have to go and buy one to make this.
Though easy to make, I refused to use the right technique on my initial attempts. I finally got this dessert right when I used the necessary technique of whisking sugar and eggs together. This is the crucial step needed to get the Creme Brulee at the right texture and consistency.
Lets make Creme Brulee
THE INGREDIENTS
3 Cups of Double Cream, 5 eggs
Half 1/2 a cup of granulated Sugar, 1 vanilla bean scrape seeds out
and 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 2 tsp of Dry White Marsala Wine:
1 tbs of granulated brown sugar for each topping
Preheat oven to 160C. Bake at 160C for 10 minutes then turn down to 140C and bake for another 30 minutes or until slightly jiggly
The Directions
Crucial step 1
Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl add half 1/2 a cup of sugar and whisk and combine briskly until pale and smooth
Step 2
Add the cream to a pot and bring to a scalding heat, do not boil. Right from the start of heating the cream you need to split the vanilla bean in half and scrape all the seeds out into the heating cream. Also add the whole bean for extra flavor, plus the Vanilla extract and Marsala. Heat the cream on number 6, if it's starts to bubble too much turn it down to 5. Remove the whole vanilla bean before adding to the eggs but leave the seeds.
Crucial step 1
Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl add half 1/2 a cup of sugar and whisk and combine briskly until pale and smooth
Step 2
Add the cream to a pot and bring to a scalding heat, do not boil. Right from the start of heating the cream you need to split the vanilla bean in half and scrape all the seeds out into the heating cream. Also add the whole bean for extra flavor, plus the Vanilla extract and Marsala. Heat the cream on number 6, if it's starts to bubble too much turn it down to 5. Remove the whole vanilla bean before adding to the eggs but leave the seeds.
Step 3
Once the cream is hot add slowly to the bowl of the whisked eggs with one hand pouring the cream into the eggs, with the other hand whisk briskly with a whisk, as you slowly pour in the scalding cream.
Step 4
Pour the custard into ramekins I've used small ones, but you can use bigger ones. If you have leftover custard freeze it for another time. Or you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days to use for a shortcut recipe. Add the ramekins to a baking tray that can hold sufficient water. Pour so the water reaches just under halfway up the ramekins, so the custards don't dry out. Bake for the recommended time. Allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Step 4
Pour the custard into ramekins I've used small ones, but you can use bigger ones. If you have leftover custard freeze it for another time. Or you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days to use for a shortcut recipe. Add the ramekins to a baking tray that can hold sufficient water. Pour so the water reaches just under halfway up the ramekins, so the custards don't dry out. Bake for the recommended time. Allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.