Creme Brulee By The Spoonful Recipes

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
• Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
• To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

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.

CREME BRULEE SPOONFULS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat the cream, half-and-half, vanilla bean, and 5 spice powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat. Set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl just until combined. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in the hot cream mixture. Strain the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch ovenproof baking pan and smooth over.
• Place the pan in a hot water bath. Bake in the center of the oven until set but not too firm (it will cook a little more as it cools), 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool 15 minutes. Tightly cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic does not touch the surface of the custard. (The recipe can be made up to this point and kept refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)
• Up to 4 hours before serving, fill Asian soupspoons with the chilled cooked custard by scooping each spoon into the pan of custard. Round the tops with a small spatula, or a butter knife. Keep cold.
• Right before serving, sprinkle the entire surface with a layer of coarse sugar and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining spoons. Torch or broil the spoons until the sugar is melted and well browned. Let cool 1 minute before serving.

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 BY THE SPOONFUL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a saucepan, slowly heat the cream and add the vanilla to the warmed cream.
• In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and the sugar.
• Whisk in the hot cream.
• Pour into three 150ml (2/3 cup) ramekins.
• Place the ramekins in a baking dish and add enough hot water to reach 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake for about 30 minutes.
• The water should barely simmer, never boil.
• Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Just before serving, scoop a small amount of the custard into attractive (miso) soup spoons.
• Sprinkle with sugar and caramelize quickly using a blowtorch.
• Serve immediately with coffee.

ULTIMATE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit four 175ml ramekins in a deep roasting tin at least 7.5cm deep (or a large deep cake tin), one that will enable a baking tray to sit well above the ramekins when laid across the top of the tin.
• Pour the large and small cartons of double cream into a medium pan with the milk.
• Lay the vanilla pod on a board and slice lengthways through the middle with a sharp knife to split it in two. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out all the tiny seeds into the cream mixture. Drop the vanilla pod in as well, and set aside.
• Put the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for 1 min with an electric hand whisk until paler in colour and a bit fluffy.
• Put the pan with the cream on a medium heat and bring almost to the boil. As soon as you see bubbles appear round the edge, take the pan off the heat.
• Pour the hot cream into the beaten egg yolks, stirring with a wire whisk as you do so, and scraping out the seeds from the pan.
• Set a fine sieve over a large wide jug or bowl and pour the hot mixture through to strain it, encouraging any stray vanilla seeds through at the end.
• Using a big spoon, scoop off all the pale foam that is sitting on the top of the liquid (this will be several spoonfuls) and discard. Give the mixture a stir.
• Pour in enough hot water (from the tap) into the roasting tin to come about 1.5cm up the sides of the ramekins. Pour the hot cream into the ramekins so you fill them up right to the top - it's easier to spoon in the last little bit.
• Put them in the oven and lay a baking sheet over the top of the tin so it sits well above the ramekins and completely covers them, but not the whole tin, leaving a small gap at one side to allow air to circulate.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until the mixture is softly set. To check, gently sway the roasting tin and if the crème brûlées are ready, they will wobble a bit like a jelly in the middle. Don't let them get too firm.
• Lift the ramekins out of the roasting tin with oven gloves and set them on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes only, then put in the fridge to cool completely. This can be done overnight without affecting the texture.
• When ready to serve, wipe round the top edge of the dishes, sprinkle 1½ tsp of caster sugar over each ramekin and spread it out with the back of a spoon to completely cover.
• Spray with a little water using a fine spray (the sort you buy in a craft shop) to just dampen the sugar - then use a blow torch to caramelise it. Hold the flame just above the sugar and keep moving it round and round until caramelised. Serve when the brûlée is firm, or within an hour or two.