Creme Brulee
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Three years ago today, Brown Eyed Baker was born with a short little write-up and small picture about my favorite Italian Wedding Soup. My, how we’ve grown! I wanted to celebrate three years of fabulous food and fun with a favorite dessert that has yet to make its way to the site. While I usually always have a hankering for rich and decadent desserts like flourless chocolate cakes and creamy cheesecakes, when out to dinner I am often drawn to creme brulee to cap off my meal. I’m not sure if it has a fancy mystique that only calls to me when out to a restaurant, but it’s a treat that I always thoroughly enjoy. Pushing the spoon through the thin layer of caramelized sugar and watching it shatter like a piece of glass is a splendid moment. Something about that crisp sheet of sugar paired with the cool, smooth custard makes my taste buds dance like bumbling bees on a blooming flower.
Given my love for creme brulee while dining out, I decided that making it at home would be the perfect way to ring in Brown Eyed Baker’s third anniversary. So, three years, wow! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. I’ve been having a wonderful time baking, learning and sharing and want to thank you all for coming along for the ride with me. I’m looking forward to sharing even more fabulous food and adventures with you!
Care to reminisce with me? I’d love to hear about your favorite Brown Eyed Baker recipe, or perhaps how you first stumbled upon the site.
Creme Brulee
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
4 cups heavy cream, chilled
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of table salt
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
12 large egg yolks
8-12 teaspoons turbinado sugar or Demerara sugarDirections:
Some notes on the recipe:
♦ Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks after the cream has finished steeping; if let to sit, the surface of the yolks will dry and form a film.
♦ A vanilla bean gives custard the deepest flavor, but 2 teaspoons of extracts, whisked into the yolks in step 4, can be used instead.
♦ The best way to judge doneness is with a digital instant-read thermometer.
♦ You can substitute regular granulated sugar for the crust, but only use 1 scant teaspoon on each ramekin.
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine 2 cups cream, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan; with paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, submerge pod in cream, and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Take pan off heat and let steep 15 minutes to infuse flavors.
3. Meanwhile, place kitchen towel in bottom of large baking dish or roasting pan and arrange eight 4- to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on towel. Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
4. After cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups cream to cool down mixture. Whisk yolks in large bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk about 1 cup cream mixture into yolks until loosened and combined; repeat with another 1 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into 2-quart measuring cup or pitcher (or clean medium bowl); discard solids in strainer. Pour or ladle mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
5. Carefully place baking dish with ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into dish, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, until water reaches two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake until centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy and digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes (25 to 30 minutes for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended time.
6. Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
7. Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place paper towel on surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (1½ teaspoons for shallow fluted dishes); tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30 to 45 minutes (but no longer); serve.
(Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated)
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creme brulee is amazing…the combination of textures is so cool and so good! love this recipe…hopefully i can make it for a crowd on Valentine’s Day!?!
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I can hear the crackle as the spoon enters the brulee. Congrats to three years of great blogging.
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Wonderful blog, and many congratulations on your third blog birthday! I’ve enjoyed reading and look forward to another year of tasty food.
I haven’t ever had creme brulee before, I feel like I’m missing something because of the fact. Sounds like a great recipe!
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Happy blogaversery!
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Wow, thanks for posting! I think I might just make this for my hubby for his upcoming birthday!
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I’ve never tasted creme brûlée, now excuses. Happy Blogiversary to youuuu!
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I LOVE creme brulee! I don’t remember how I came across the Brown Eyed Baker; I just know I’m glad I did.
I think my favorite (and the most dangerous) recipe I’ve tried thus far is the coffee/cappuccino cheesecake!
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I think this is my new favorite. Whenever I see creme brulee it tugs at my heart because it’s my husband’s favorite dessert. I love your beautiful crispy edges. Happy blogoversary. I look forward to another year of wonderful blog posts.
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Congrats on 3 years!! That is quite an accomplishment! I love creme brulee! I don’t think I can remember exactly how I found your site, but I have been a regular reader ever since. I have made so many of your recipes so to narrow it down is hard. One that pops out is the Double chocolate biscotti where you added the white chocolate chips instead of nuts. I’m allergic to nuts so I was so happy to see that substitution and it was a delicious one! Those were the favorite thing I made for my holiday gift packages this year. I also love the pizza crust recipe and chicken parmesan. Here’s to many more years of Brown Eyed Baker!
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Oh yummy! I’m such a sucker for creme brulee. I just HAVE to order it every time I see it.
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Congratulations on 3 years! I don’t comment very often, but your spaghetti and meatballs are legendary in my house!! Everyone I’ve ever served them too has said those meatballs are the absolute best they’ve ever had!!
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Happy blogaversary! Keep up the awesome work!
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Congratulations on 3 years!! What an accomplishment. Sadly, I’ve never had creme brulee – I really need to rectify that soon
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Happy Blogaversary! Keep up the great stuff. Like this! Mmmm….
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Yum! I’ve been wanting to make a chocolate creme brulee for awhile now, but this looks yummy too! Congrats on three years of blogging! Your site inspires me!
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Congrats on three years! I’m extra excited about this post because I’ve been looking for a good creme brulee recipe for a while now. I stumbled across your site a few months ago and was surprised to see you’re in the Burgh. I’m originally from the area and went to college there, so I’ll always be a Pittsburgh girl at heart. Keep up the good work! P.S. I love the Steelers cookies.
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Congrats!! You have come the distance for sure!! Your blog is fantastic and an inspiration.
How DID I come across it?? It’s been so long, I just can’t remember!
Thanks for all the fantastic posts!
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Congratulations! I can’t remember how I found you, but I’m so glad that I did!
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congrats on your anniversary! i’m so glad to have found your blog with all of your amazing recipes and photos!! looking forward to following you a long time to come!
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Looks great!
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HAppy 3 years to you! Creme Brulee isn’t something I make often but I love it.
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This looks like the perfect excuse to go buy a kitchen torch! I can’t remember what first brought me to your site, but I’ve been a loyal follower for a while now. Congrats on 3 years!
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I looove creme brulee, and like you, was first introduced via restaurant dining. My favorite creme brulee is always chocolate. Yummy!
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Congrats on 3 years, girl!
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Congrats on the anniversary!
We LOVE your blog and have been fans for about a year!
Good luck in the future.
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Happy anniversary!
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3 years?? AWESOME! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate. Creme brule? YUM!
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Happy Blogiversary!!! And congrats on 3 years!!
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Mmmm, I’ve never ever had creme brulee but I’ve never had a yearning to try it either…until now. lol
Congratulations – keep up the stellar work!!!
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congrats on 3 years! I came to your website through annies website and love it since then. Have made a lot of your recipes, the upside down pineapple cake and chocolate pistachio biscotti being my favorite!
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I love your blog! I can’t wait to try this. Creme Brule is on my to make list!! Thanks!
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Love your creme brulee photos. I make a lot of creme brulee for my blog in every flavor imaginable, but your photos take the cake. Nice job.
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happy anniversary…i love ur recipes…i heart creme brulee…and urs look to die for!!
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I’m making a cake this week for Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) and it calls for 15 egg whites. I thought about using the egg yolks in a Creme Brulee. This recipe calls for almost the amount of yolks I will have on hand. So, I’ll give this a whirl!
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Made this for my mom on mother`s day and it was a HUGE hit!! Plus the tips were super helpful! So yummy – thx!
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These look so good!!
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