Creme Brulee By Alton Brown Recipes

PERFECT CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Move a rack to the bottom of the oven.
• Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla together in a stainless steel bowl until smooth. Bring the cream just to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat; pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continually until combined.
• Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in an oven-safe saucepan over medium low heat; set the bowl with the cream mixture over the saucepan to form a double boiler.
• Place the entire double boiler into the preheated oven; bake until the mixture sets, about 30 minutes.
• Chill in refrigerator 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Combine the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of white sugar in a bowl; sprinkle evenly over the cold creme.
• Heat under the preheated broiler until the sugar melts and browns, 2 to 3 minutes; return immediately to the refrigerator and chill until the sugar is set, about 15 minutes.

GRAPEFRUIT BRULEE

Steps:

• Special Equipment: Blowtorch
• Halve each grapefruit crosswise, and cut a thin slice off the bottom of each half to stabilize the pieces. Remove all seeds from the grapefruit, and loosen the segments with a paring knife.
• Sprinkle each half evenly with the sugar. Using a blowtorch, melt the sugar to form a golden brown and crispy surface. Sprinkle the hot sugar with the salt, and serve immediately.

CREME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Combine the cream, vanilla bean pod and its pulp in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and reserve for another use, such as making vanilla sugar.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the vanilla 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 constantly.
• Pour the liquid into 6 (7- to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins in 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 brûlée is set, but still trembling in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Remove the creme brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. 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 brûlée to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

ALTON BROWN'S CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
• 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.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Pour the cream into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Scrape the vanilla caviar from the vanilla bean and add it to the cream (or add the vanilla extract if using instead). Bring almost to the boil, and then turn off the heat.
• Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and add 3/4 cup sugar. With a whisk, mix the eggs and sugar together. Now, break out your elbow grease and take a deep breath. You're going to need to whisk the mixture like crazy for 3 or 4 minutes, until it's very light yellow in color.
• Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the hot cream into the bowl through the strainer.
• To temper the egg mixture, very slowly drizzle 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg/sugar mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Continue adding the rest of the hot cream to the bowl very slowly, whisking constantly. You can add the cream a little more rapidly as the mixture warms.
• Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and ladle in the custard until the ramekins are three-quarters full.
• Place the baking sheet inside the oven, and then pour water into the baking sheet until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the ramekins.
• Bake until the custard is set but not brown, 35 to 40 minutes, watching carefully to avoid browning.
• Remove the ramekins and allow to cool. Refrigerate the custards, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to serve the dessert, sprinkle the top of each custard generously with superfine sugar. Use a kitchen torch to burn the sugar to a crisp, working quickly to avoid cooking the custard below. (You may also place the ramekins on a pan and put them right under the broiler, but you have to be careful not to affect the custard below.)
• Serve immediately with spoons.

THE BEST CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large heavy roasting pan (a turkey roasting pan works great) with a clean kitchen towel and place 4 six-ounce ramekins on top of the towel spaced a few inches apart.
• Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Using the back of a paring knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from both halves of the pod. Add the seeds and pod to the cream. Whisk in the salt and 3 tablespoons of the sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Vigorously whisk the yolks and 3 more tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer on high speed and beat until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Whisking the yolks constantly, add a couple of teaspoons at a time from 1 cup of the hot cream, then increase to a steady stream until the cream is fully incorporated. (Don't pour too much hot cream at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.) The yolks are now tempered. Whisk the tempered yolks back into the remaining hot cream until combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or medium pitcher for easier pouring; discard the vanilla pods.
• Skim the foam off the top of the custard by placing a clean paper towel on top and lightly pressing down so it touches the surface and absorbs some of the liquid. This will make for a completely smooth and silky custard. Fill the ramekins with the custard, about 3/4 cup per ramekin.
• Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins without getting any water in the custard. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.
• Just before serving, evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the top of a custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above the surface. Starting in the center of the ramekin, move the flame in a circular motion and work your way out to the edges to caramelize the sugar. Repeat with the remaining sugar and custards.
• Alternatively, arrange a rack in the top position of the oven and heat the broiler on high. Place the ramekins on a rack set inside a baking sheet and broil until deep golden brown, 15 to 60 seconds, checking every 10 seconds.
• Freeze the custards for 5 minutes before serving (see Cook's Note).

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
• Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
• Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

CREME BRULEE BY ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325*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.
• My Notes: Would recommend waiting overnight to eat. Consistency was firmer. I used regular sugar for the main recipe, and turbinado for the glaze. Made it in coffee mugs and topped with berries in vanilla sugar.
• I've made this recipe for my family twice now and it has been a hit both times. I seem to always end up with extra, making more like 9 instead of six servings, but extras never seem to go to waste. My family later had a creme brulee at a french restraunt in Vegas and said that they were as close as you could come. I highly recommend the vanilla bean but, I don't do the vanilla sugar. I just add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the sugar and it seems to work just fine. I would recommend this recipe to anyone. You won't regret it.