Perfect Creme Brulee Recipes

VANILLA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
• In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
• When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

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°F.
• In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat cream and 2 tbls sugar until just hot (small bubbles will form around the edge and a bit of steam will be released when cream is stirred).
• While cream is heating, separate two eggs, reserving the whites for another use (or discarding). Put the yolks in a bowl.
• Whisk in vanilla bean paste. This paste, made by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and available in many upscale culinary shops and some spice shops, is a godsend and no cook who uses vanilla should be without it. If you don't have this paste, split one plump, long vanilla bean and scrape out the bean seeds inside. If you're particularly fond of vanilla, you may also add a scant amount of pure vanilla extract, but no more than 1/2 teaspoon.
• Add hot cream to egg yolk mixture and whisk thoroughly.
• Pour evenly into four creme brulee dishes.
• Place the creme brulee dishes in a suitably sized pan and add enough hot water (the hotter, the better) to reach about halfway up the sides of the dishes.
• Cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil (do not seal, just place on the dishes).
• Bake for 25-27 minutes or until custard is just set.
• Let cool on countertop for about 10 minutes or so, then chill creme brulees in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3-4 hours. Wrapping tightly with plastic is not recommended because water will condense on underside of wrap and drip on the custard when removed.
• Immediately prior to serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar (about 1/16th inch deep) evenly over the custard. If any water puddles are present on the surface of the custard, absorb them carefully with a paper towel before sprinkling with sugar.
• Using (preferably) a creme brulee kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar using continuous movements with the flame. The sugar must not be scorched, which is easy to do if you let the flame linger in one location. Use as hot and large a flame as practicable so you can caramelize the sugar in short order and not "melt" the custard underneath.
• If you don't have a torch, a broiler can melt and caramelize the sugar, but this is not at all the preferred method. Careful attention should be paid while broiling and the dishes should be very close to the heat source.
• Once the sugar is caramelized, let cool briefly and serve. The crust should be glasslike and hard. Do not garnish with berries or chocolate kisses or mint leaves or whipped cream or any such nonsense. In my opinion, doing so detracts from the elegant simplicity of this classic dessert.

CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Prepare oven and baking dishes: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Place eight 5-ounce baking dishes in a large roasting pan.
• Gently heat cream: In a medium saucepan, combine cream and half the sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). Scrape vanilla bean seeds into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium just until mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes (do not let boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with remaining sugar and the salt.
• Temper eggs: Use ladle to pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk to combine. (This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of cream mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup (to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits of egg).
• Bake: Divide custard evenly among baking dishes. Place pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until custards are just set (they should tremble slightly in center when shaken), 30 to 40 minutes.
• Chill: Remove pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove dishes from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days) before serving. The custard will finish setting in the refrigerator. If you like, transfer the custards to the freezer 15 minutes before serving to ensure they stay cold after being bruleed (this is especially important if using the broiler).
• Caramelize tops and serve: Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar over each custard. Working with one at a time, pass the flame of the torch in a circular motion 1 to 2 inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber, and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.