Creamy, Dreamy and Delicious...

I have to talk about my favorite dessert... Is there anything better than a cold, creamy, luscious custard?  Well, top that custard with crunchy caramelized sugar and I think you have it!  Creme brulee is a simple dessert--no complicated or exotic ingredients, just egg yolks, cream, sugar and vanilla--yet it is heaven in a ramekin.  It's also pretty easy to make--you just need to be careful with your oven temperature and timing (you definitely don't want to over-bake it).

You should start out by warming your eggs up to room temperature.  You can do this by setting them out for a couple of hours, or just fill a bowl with warm, not hot, water and let them warm up while you measure the rest of your ingredients.  Heat your cream and vanilla until it just starts to boil.  Remove from the heat, but keep it covered to infuse the deliciousness of the vanilla into the cream.  Separate your eggs (save the whites for angelfood cake, egg white omelets, etc) and mix the sugar and egg yolks.  Slowly add the cream to the yolks/sugar mixture.  It helps to have a non-skid bowl (silicone bottom) or wet a towel and roll it into a ring to hold your bowl in place while you whisk in the cream.  Strain the custard into a pitcher using a chinois or a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.  Place ramekins on a sheet pan with sides (make sure they are not touching each other or the sides of the pan to allow air to flow around them). Pour your custard into the ramekins (I usually fill mine about 2/3 full). Place the sheet on the center oven rack (oven should be 325deg F). Pour hot water to make a water bath for the custard (water should reach about 1/2 the level of the custard). 

Bake until the custard is set, about 30-35 minutes.  Custard should have a little movement but should not ripple like liquid.  Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool at least 15 minutes before refrigerating.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before topping.  

Give yourself plenty of time to cool the custard after topping and before serving--it's not as amazing if the custard is warm.  To top: cover the top of the custard with a little sugar (you should be able to just barely see the custard through the sugar). Use a torch to "burn" the sugar (creme brulee translates to "burned cream").  Start on one side, near the edge and caramelize the sugar, working slowly around the ramekin until all of the sugar is caramelized.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving and get ready for a cool, creamy, deliciousness that is the perfect ending to any meal (or even just a great snack)!

Creme brulee: YUMM-O!

My husband and I polished off the entire batch in 3 days (I couldn't resist adding a dessert course to my lunch, too!!).   I'm actually kind of surprised it lasted that long--I was rockin' the will power for that!  When we made creme brulee in culinary school, I think I ate 4 of them in one day!

I've posted this recipe on the recipe page or just click here for the creme brulee recipe.  I'm not sure what my next project will be--I'm going to see what I'm hungry for in the next couple of days...

So long for now and stay obsessed with sweets!