Family Chefmate: Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of my families favorite desserts. The rich cream makes this dish melt in your mouth. The browned sugar crust of a creme brulee makes it fun to eat. You can melt the sugar with a blow torch or under a broiler. My kids love when I heat the sugar and it begins to melt and brown. This recipe comes from Alton Brown in 2005.

Creme Brulee
Pre-heat oven: 325 degrees
Serves: 6

1 quart heavy cream (4 cups)
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped
1 cup organic cane sugar
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water (for the pan)

In a saucepan place the cream, vanilla bean and seeds and cook on medium high until it comes to a boil. To access the vanilla bean seeds just cut the bean in half length ways and scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean from the mixture.

In a bowl, whisk the 1/2 sugar and egg yolks together until light in color about 3 minutes. Add the warm cream slowly to the egg mixture whisking continually. Pour the liquid evenly into 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins into a cake pan or roasting pan. Pour the hot water into the bottom of the pan so the water comes up 1/2 way of the ramekins. Bake the creme brulee for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove the ramekins from the hot water pan and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 2 days.

When you are ready to eat the creme brulee evenly divide the last 1/2 cup of sugar between the 6 ramekins in a even layer on top. Allow the custard to rest for 1/2 hour. Using a blow torch, melt the sugar on top of the creme brulee to form a crisp coating on top. If you do not have a blow torch you can place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and place them under a very hot broiler for a few minutes or until the sugar has melted on top.

Heating the Cream and Vanilla Bean