>Crème brûlée, the Ladycakes way

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I spent the better part of last week educating myself on how to create the perfect crème for crème brûlée. Last time I made it, it turned out soupy. And there was no room for error this time. Unfortunately, insuring there would be no error meant ditching Alton Brown and David Lebovitz, and writing my own recipe. I was a little skeptical about the process at first, but with the help of Randolph Mann, I got through it. As for my crème brûlée? It turned out even more perfect than I had imagined; rich and creamy, with a smooth, silky texture. If there were a god of crème brûlèe, Randolph Mann would be it.

Crème brûlée

3 c. heavy cream
1 vanilla bean + pulp, split and scraped
6 egg yolks, cold
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. + 3 TBS cane sugar

Other things you’ll need:
5-6 ramekins (it really depends on how much cream you want in each ramekin)
Kitchen torch
Wash cloth or small kitchen towel
9X13 glass baking dish
8-10 c. boiling water
5-6 TBS 50/50 brown sugar/cane sugar for sprinkling (1 TBS per ramekin)

• Combine milk, vanilla bean and vanilla bean pulp in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring every few minutes – feel free to add a dash of salt, if you’d like
• When mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Line glass baking dish with dish towel and ramekins – set aside
• Boil 8-10 c. water on stove top (this will provide a hot water bath for the cream during baking)
• In separate bowl, stir egg yolks, vanilla extract and sugar just until incorporated (do not over mix) – cover with damp towel and let sit for 5-10 minutes 
• Percolate cream mixture into a bowl with a spout
• Pour cream mixture (small parts at a time) into egg mixture, stirring constantly
• Pour cream into ramekins
• Pour boiling water into baking dish, until ramekins are covered half way up their sides (see photo, here)

Bake at 300 for 40-45 minutes, just until set (centers should still rumble)

When the ramekins are finished baking, remove from oven and immideately place into fridge, uncovered. After 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for another 2 hours, but no longer than 3 days.

Brûlée-ing:

• Remove ramekins from fridge, allow to sit for 5 minutes
• Spread 1 TBS 50/50 sugar over tops of cream
• Use kitchen torch to caramelize sugar (keep flame in motion, as not to burn sugar)
• Serve immideately

I’ve also read that you can brûlée using the broil setting on an oven. I, however, highly recommend investing in a kitchen torch – you can get them for as cheap as $10.

Vegan crème brûlée is next; silken tofu and agave nectar will never be the same.

>Burnt creme

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I’m going to throw this out there: I’m not a fancy-schmancy dessert person.  I’m not even a fancy-schmancy person in real life; I have a plain hair cut, I wear plain clothes, I wear plain make-up and I eat a plain assortment of food.  So why would my sweet creations be any different?

Thom has been hounding me to make crème brûlée for a good 2 years, and I have always blown him off because fancy desserts do not appeal to me, not even in the slightest.  Well, yesterday I gave in.  I bought a torch and some ramekins, heavy cream and $12 vanilla bean, and got to work.  The ingredients were basic and the process was simple, leading me to believe that crème brûlée, despite it’s fancy name, is not a fancy dessert at all.  And for what it’s worth, I think it’s better suited being called burnt creme.

Crème brûlée
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

1/2 vanilla bean
2 c. heavy creme
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/4 c. + 4 TBS sugar

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 300°F. Have a pot of boiling water ready. Line a baking pan that is 2 to 3 inches deep with a small kitchen towel.

Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle and scrape the seeds into a 2-quart saucepan. Add the cream, stir to mix and set the pan over medium-low heat. Warm the cream until bubbles form around the edges of the pan and steam begins to rise from the surface. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep, about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt and the 1/4 cup sugar until smooth and blended. Gradually add the cream to the egg mixture, whisking until blended. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Divide the custard among four 5- or 6-oz. ramekins and place the ramekins in the prepared baking pan. Add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custard is just set around the edges, 35 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the sugar evenly over each custard. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately.