Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée 

2-1/2 cups heavy cream, scalded, (just before boiling), then cooled
6 egg yolks, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
dash of salt
4 tablespoons caster or granulated sugar

topping:

1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Crème Brûlée is a French custard, literally translated as burnt cream. The sugar coating on the top is scorched with a butane torch. Scald heavy whipping cream in double boiler, then cool for at least one hour. While cream is cooling, separate eggs yolks and beat slightly, add vanilla extract, sugar, and dash of salt, beat till well blended then set aside. Slowly add scorched cream to the egg yolks whisking all the while so as not to cook egg yolks. (I reserved the egg whites for the recipe in the next post).

Spilled a little of the cream in the water bath in previous photo. Put ramekins in a baking dish and add very hot water half way up the level of the ramekins. Don't add too much water otherwise ramekins will float. Bake in a water bath for 30 minutes at 300 F. Remove ramekins and cool then refrigerate. When crème brûlée is cold, pour sugar over the top, spread evenly with a pastry brush making sure not to disturb custard below, and micro torch till crisp with a butane micro torch. Don't over caramelize otherwise sugar will taste bitter. When removing micro torch from sugar it continues to cook slightly afterwards, so remove before you achieve the color you desire. Set up on my crispy pizza pan so torch didn't burn the dining table. When first eating this dessert you crack into the topping to reveal the custard below, quite tasty. Since Gary operated the torch, he said he was a chef and made the dessert.