Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée is an exquisite French dessert that combines rich vanilla cream with a crunchy caramel crust — the pinnacle of French pâtisserie.
Ingredients
- 500 mlheavy cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 gsugar
- extra sugar for caramel crust
- pinchsalt
Method
- Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Combine cream, seeds and pod in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C. Whisk yolks with sugar and a pinch of salt until pale. Slowly pour in warm cream, stirring constantly. Strain through a fine sieve.
- Pour cream into ceramic molds. Place molds in a deep baking tray and pour hot water up to the middle height of the molds. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cream is slightly jiggly.
- Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the surface. Caramelize with a cooking torch or under the grill until a golden crust forms.
FAQ
Without a torch, the caramel crust can be made under the oven broiler: place the ramekins with sugar under a fully preheated broiler for 2–3 minutes, making sure the cream doesn't overheat. The result is slightly less precise, but quite acceptable.
Most likely the cream was underbaked (the center should jiggle slightly but not be liquid) or it contains too much sugar. Bake at 150°C in a water bath until it reaches a 'jelly wobble' consistency.
Yes — vanilla can easily be replaced with vanilla extract (1 tsp) or vanilla sugar. You can also use lavender, orange zest, cinnamon, or cardamom — steep them in hot cream for 15 minutes and strain.
Baked crème brûlée (without the caramel crust) keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make the caramel crust just before serving — otherwise it will soften.
Spread a thin, even layer of fine sugar (no more than 2mm). Keep the torch moving in circles at a distance of 3–5 cm — don't linger in one spot. Let the crust set for 30 seconds before serving.
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Comments (3)
Está bueno, pero me quedó demasiado líquido las dos veces que lo intenté. Creo que el tiempo de horno debería ser más largo, al menos 50 minutos en vez de 40. También me parece que falta especificar que las yemas tienen que estar a temperatura ambiente antes de mezclar, si están frías del refrigerador no emulsionan bien con la nata. El caramelo de arriba sí quedó perfecto con el soplete.
Девочки, крем брюле это проще чем кажеться! Я боялась браться но попробовала и теперь делаю каждые выходные. Горелку кухоную купила на озоне за 500р, карамелька сверху получаеться как в ресторане.
I rotate the pan 180° halfway through baking this crème brûlée. Most ovens have hot spots, and the heavy cream colors unevenly without the rotation. It takes 3 seconds and prevents a burnt side.