Prune And Brandy Creme Brulee 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.

BRANDY CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place eight 6-ounce ramekin or crème brûlée dishes in a larger baking pan. Heat a kettle of water.
• Pour the cream into a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla bean, with the scrapings. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Whisk 1/4 cup of sugar into the egg yolks until well mixed. Gently whisk the cream into the yolks, add the Herbsaint and brandy, then strain through a fine sieve.
• I actually prefer to fill the ramekins and water bath when the pan is already in the oven, so I don't spill either when I move them. Place the pan with the ramekins on the middle rack of the oven with the door open, and use a ladle to fill the ramekins with the custard. Carefully pour hot water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins, cover the pan with foil, then gently slide the oven rack into the oven. Bake the custards for about 40 minutes, rotating once. It is a good idea to take a peek after about 25 minutes and make sure they are not cooking too fast (in which case they would look overly dry and shriveled). This is especially good to do if you are using the shallow, wide variety of crème brûlée dishes. Custard is done when it's just barely set and jiggles when you move the ramekin. Remove them from the oven, uncover, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate. The custards should be chilled for about 2 hours before caramelizing with the sugar.
• Sprinkle the tops of the custards with a thin layer of sugar and brown under a broiler or with a butane torch held 4-6 inches from the surface. When the sugar starts to bubble and brown, sprinkle lightly with another layer of sugar and brown the second layer. You'll use about 1/2 cup of sugar in all. For the most crackly top, serve within 10 minutes of caramelizing.

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).

BRANDY CRèME BRûLéE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar and the butter with spoon. Press on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. In small bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar with spoon until thick. Gradually stir in whipping cream and brandy. Pour over baked layer.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until custard is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Place bars on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
• In heavy 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup sugar over medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and caramel colored. Cool slightly until caramel has thickened slightly. Drizzle hot caramel over bars. (If caramel begins to harden, return to medium heat and stir until thin enough to drizzle.) After caramel on bars has hardened, cover and refrigerate bars up to 48 hours.

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.

BRANDY CRèME BRûLéE DESSERT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Cut butter into Bisquick mix and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until well mixed. Press on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown; remove from oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl with wire whisk until thick. Gradually stir in whipping cream and brandy until blended. Pour over baked layer. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until custard is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For serving pieces, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Place on dessert plates. Heat 1/3 cup sugar in heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and caramel colored. Cool slightly until caramel has thickened slightly. Quickly drizzle hot caramel evenly over each serving. (If caramel begins to harden, return to medium heat and stir until thin enough to drizzle.) Store dessert covered in refrigerator.

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.

COFFEE-BRANDY CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine cream and 1/4 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan; bring almost to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add coffee and whisk to dissolve. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm cream mixture, then brandy and vanilla. Strain custard into 4-cup measuring cup; pour into ramekins, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until center moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 35 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours, then cover and keep chilled overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Arrange custards on baking sheet. Press 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar through strainer onto each custard, forming even layer. Broil 6 inches from heat source until sugar melts, bubbles and caramelizes, watching carefully and rotating sheet for even browning, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate custards until sugar topping hardens, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving.