I love crème brûlée. I love making it. I love eating it. I love tapping my spoon against the glass-like ceiling of burnt sugar, and breaking into the voluptuous, vanilla-scented custard below. Are you drooling yet? Here's the easy recipe:
To start, pour 1 quart heavy cream into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.
Then split a vanilla pod, and scrape out its delicious black seeds. Throw the pod and seeds into the cream, and bring to the barest simmer over a medium flame. Remove from heat, and let steep for 10-15 minutes.
Note: No vanilla pod in your pantry? Substitute 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
While the cream is heating, separate 10 large eggs, and put the yolks in a big bowl. (Freeze the whites -- they'll come in handy the next time you wish to make a souffle.)
Break up the yolks with a wire whisk. Then, while whisking continuously, slowly add 1 cup sugar. Keep beating until the mixture turns pale and thick -- about 1 minute.
Now set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl...
And pour the hot cream through the sieve. You want to strain out the gummy milk solids that would otherwise interfere with the velvety texture of your custard.
While whisking rapidly, add 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the eggs, just to "temper" them. Then beat in the remaining cream in a steady stream.
You can bake the custard in eight 6-ounce ramekins...
Or in a single oven-proof dish, such as the 10-inch diameter quiche pan pictured above. An 11x13 casserole will work as well.
Whatever your container, place it on a rimmed baking sheet (or in a shallow roasting pan), and add enough boiling water to come about 1/2 inch up the sides.
Bake on the lower-middle rack of a preheated 325°F oven until the the custard is set -- the center should just shiver when shaken -- 45-55 minutes. In my gas oven, the custard, whether baked in individual ramekins or a large casserole dish, requires exactly 55 minutes to set.
Let cool for 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or for up to 3 days.
And here comes the fun part!
Uncover the chilled works, and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the tops with a thin layer of sugar.
To achieve the "brûlée" of crème brûlée, you'll need to burn the sugar topping. And for this you'll need a culinary torch.
And this brings us to my sordid "Tale of Three Torches:"
While preparing this recipe for you, my 10-year-old burner (the black subject pictured on the left) bit the dust. So I ran to the local hardware store, and purchased their smallest torch (which wasn't small at all) for $20.50. It was a pain to ignite. Also, it was too bulky and thus too dangerous to use while taking photographs. Consequently I drove to a poorly-stocked kitchen-supply store in Chatham, NY, and obtained, for $30.00, the little red model you see pictured on the right.
Tip: To save time, money, and heartache, just order a culinary torch from an online source, such as Amazon.
Use the blowtorch to blister and brown the sugar. The topping will crystallize after a 1 minute rest.
You can refrigerate the dessert(s) for at least 2 hours before serving. But if you wait too long, the top will soften. Not to worry -- you can always add a little more sugar, and re-burn the top.
Ready for a taste?
This is what making love to a spoon looks like.
Is Crème Brûlée one of your favorite desserts, too? You can let me know by leaving a comment.
Here's a printer-friendly, copy-and-paste version of the above:
Crème Brûlée (GF)
As made by Kevin Lee Jacobs (www.kevinleejacobs.com)
Makes enough for 8 servings
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped OR 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar plus extra for sprinkling
Special Equipment: 8 6-ounce ramekins or, for a one-dish dessert, an 11x13 casserole; a rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan; a culinary torch
Set the oven rack at the lower-middle position; preheat oven to 325°F
Pour the cream into a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the vanilla pod and its contents (or the vanilla extract), and bring just to a simmer over a medium flame. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, break up the yolks with a wire whisk. Whisking constantly, gradually add the cup of sugar. Beat vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick -- about 1 minute.
Strain the hot cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.
Whisking continuously, add 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the yolk mixture. Keep beating, and add the remaining cream in a slow, steady stream.
Fill the ramekins or casserole dish 3/4 full with the custard. Transfer to a baking sheet (or shallow roasting pan), and add enough boiling water to reach 1/2-inch or so up the sides. Bake until the custard barely shivers when shaken -- 45-55 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to serve, sprinkle the dessert(s) with a shallow layer of sugar -- about 1 teaspoon for each ramekin, and 3-4 tablespoons for a big-dish brûlée. Use the culinary torch to melt the sugar until it blisters and browns attractively. The topping will crystallize after a 1 minute rest.
Serve at once, or refrigerate, uncovered, for 2-3 hours. (If you wait too long, the sugar will soften. But you can re-sugar and re-burn the tops to crackling perfection.)
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