Berries Brûlée Recipes

SIMPLE VANILLA CREME BRULEE WITH BERRY COULIS

Steps:

• For the creme brulee: Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Place four 6-ounce ramekins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a kettle or saucepan with water to a boil.
• Bring the heavy cream to a light simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk the sugar, salt and egg yolks in a large bowl or measuring cup. Slowly pour the hot cream into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Pour or ladle the custard evenly into the ramekins. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to come two-thirds of the way up the ramekins, making sure to keep the water out of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is set and firm when shaken, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the custards and let cool to room temperature on a rack, then chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• For the berry coulis: Add the berries, sugar, lemon zest and juice and mint to a food processor and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over a custard. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar by keeping the flame close to the sugar but moving it constantly to get an even color. Repeat with the remaining custards. Alternatively, sprinkle sugar over all the custards and place on a baking sheet under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on your broiler.
• Serve immediately with the berry coulis, a few fresh berries and a sprig of mint on top!

DRUNKEN BERRIES

Steps:

• Combine sugar with water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat and let stand 5 more minutes.
• Stir pear liqueur into the syrup and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Gently combine strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries in a large bowl and pour syrup over the berries to coat. Allow berries to stand for about 3 hours to absorb flavors. Mixture can stand up to 3 days if desired.

MASCARPONE BRULEE WITH FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• Mix strawberries, blackberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and orange juice together in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 2 hours to overnight.
• Stir mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl.
• Spread mascarpone mixture over the top of each shortcake half; sprinkle about 1 teaspoon sugar over the top to cover. Caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch, 20 to 30 seconds per shortcake. Place each shortcake in a shallow bowl and surround with berries and accumulated juices.

BERRIES BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Pick over berries, and remove any mildewed ones, leaves or husks. If using strawberries, hull each, then cut lengthwise in halves or quarters.
• Arrange berries in a shallow baking dish. Stir sour cream until smooth, and spread over berries. Place brown sugar in small sieve, and press through to cover sour cream in a light, even layer. Broil until sugar begins to bubble and lightly caramelize; do not allow to burn. Serve at once.

CRèME BRûLéE WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk vigorously until yolk mixture is pale yellow and hot to touch, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture; discard vanilla bean.
• Divide cream mixture among six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Arrange dishes in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of dishes. Bake custards until almost set in center and light golden on top, about 35 minutes. Remove custards from water; refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar atop each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate custards until topping hardens, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, toss berries, brown sugar, and raspberry liqueur, if desired, in large bowl. Spoon berry mixture atop custards and serve immediately.

VANILLA BEAN CREME BRULEE WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• For the custard: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place 4 (6-ounce) ramekins in a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Fill a tea kettle or small saucepan with a spout with water and heat.
• Add the heavy cream and sugar to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Using a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean using the back of the knife to prevent the pod from breaking. Add the seeds and bean to the saucepan. (If any of the vanilla seeds get stuck to your fingers, grab some of your extra sugar and rub the sugar between your fingers over the saucepan to remove every last bit of vanilla seeds and let fall into the cream.) Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the vanilla seeds break up and the mixture comes to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout and either discard the vanilla bean or reserve, dry out and add to your sugar bowl!
• Place a medium bowl over some wet paper towels, or form a dish towel into a circle or wreath shape and nestle the bowl in the center. This will help act as your third hand or as a base to hold the bowl in place when you start tempering in your hot liquid. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the bowl and whisk to combine. (Reserve the egg whites for another use, or make meringues and store in an air-tight container for a sweet treat anytime!) Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture, making sure to scrape any remaining vanilla beans into the mixture as well. Return the custard to the measuring cup. Pour the custard into the ramekins, or use either a 4 or 6-ounce ladle to help evenly distribute. Pour enough hot water from your tea kettle into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the baking dish into the oven. Alternatively, to make sure none of the water from the pan ends up in the filled ramekins, you can place the pan with the ramekins in the oven, and then add the water to come halfway up the sides.
• Bake the custards until the center is set but still jiggles a bit when you gently shake the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and set aside to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place into the refrigerator to cool completely.
• For the brulee: Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over the tops of each custard, picking up the ramekin if needed. Position the flame of a baker's torch 1 to 2 inches above the surface of the custard and move the torch around in an even circle to melt and brown the sugar, moving from ramekin to ramekin. Do not allow the sugar to burn. You can even pick up and tilt the ramekin to help even out the caramelized sugar. If you don't have a baker's torch, place all the ramekins on a baking sheet and pop under the broiler. Watch the whole time, and rotate the baking sheet as needed until the sugar melts and browns evenly.
• For the berries: Combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. When ready to serve, spoon the berry mixture atop the custards.
• Cook's Note: Creme brulee is super easy and you can infuse the cream with almost any flavor. If you like coffee, add a pinch or 2 of instant coffee granules to the cream. For a lavender-scented brulee, just steep a dash of lavender in the cream, then strain as usual.
• Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision.

SUMMER BERRY BRULéE

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to pack instructions. Drain and cool. Divide the fruit between 6 x 150ml ramekin dishes, drizzle the cassis over and set to one side.
• Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and put in a pan with the cream and the empty pod. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave for 5 mins. Remove and discard the vanilla pod. Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl.
• Stir the cream into the egg. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
• Stir the cooked rice into the custard mixture. Ladle into the ramekins and leave in the fridge for 6 hrs.
• Sprinkle sugar over the tops and caramelise with a blow torch or under a very hot grill until it turns dark brown. Let it cool and harden before serving.

LEMON CRèME BRûLéE WITH FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange eight 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine cream and lemon peel in heavy small saucepan and bring to simmer. Whisk sugar and yolks in large bowl until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture, then vanilla and salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Strain custard, then divide among cups. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
• Bake custards until just set in center, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from water bath; chill uncovered until firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Preheat broiler. Place custard cups on baking sheet. Strain brown sugar through small sieve onto custards, dividing equally. Broil until sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes. Chill until topping is hard and crisp, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
• Combine raspberries and liqueur in bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Spoon berry mixture atop custards.

SCOTTISH BERRY BRULEE

Steps:

• Place all berries in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over 1 tbsp caster sugar and the zest and juice of the orange. Mix together the yoghurt, creme fraiche and remaining caster sugar and spread over the fruit and leave in fridge for 2 hours.
• Sprinkle the soft brown sugar over the top and dust with the cinnamon, place under a hot grill until the sugar melts. Serve immediately.