Creme Brulee again

Thursday, March 19, 2009

I made creme brulee for the first time a few months ago. Hubby loved it. I hate using water baths and I wanted to try Dorie’s recipe. We both agreed that we like this recipe much better than the other one. And it’s so nice not having to use a water bath! This treat really is too easy to make. It’s dangerous. Especially when I have leftover egg yolks from making Swiss meringue buttercream… Next, I’d like to experiment with some different flavors of creme brulee.

I converted Dorie’s recipe (seen here from when the TWD group did it) to make 4 servings instead of 6. Here are the measurements I used:
13 Tbsp + 1 tsp heavy cream
1/3 cup whole milk
2 egg yolks
3 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/3 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp sugar for topping

The link above is broken, so here is the recipe from Dorie:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

About 6 tbsp sugar or sifted light brown sugar for topping

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200F. Put the baking dishes on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Bring the cream and milk just to a boil.
In a 1-2 quart glass measuring cup or in a medium bowl, whisk th egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until well blended but not airy. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter or the hot liquid – this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the cream and milk. Give the bowl a good rap against the counter to de-bubble the custard, then strain it into the baking dishes.

Bake the custards for 50-60 minutes, or until the custards are set – tap the sides of the dishes, and the custards should hold firm. Lift the dishes onto a cooling rack and let the custards cool until they reach room temperature.

Cover each custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. (The custards can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) For the sugar to be successfully caramelized, the custards need to be thoroughly chilled.

To caramelize the sugar topping with a blowtorch, work on one dish at a time. Sprinkle the top of each custard evenly with sugar – about 1 tablespoon for each dish – then brown the sugar, cooking until it bubbles and colors. Wait until the bubbles subside before serving the crèmes.

To caramelize the sugar in a broiler, preaheat the broiler and fill a shallow roasting pan with the ice cubes. Sprinkle the custards with the sugar, put the baking dishes on the bed of ice and run the custards under the broiler. Don’t move away from your oven – depending on your broiler, it can take seconds or minutes to caramelize the sugar, and you don’t want to miss the moment and ruin the topping. When the sugar bubbles and browns, pull the custards out, remove them from their ice bed and let them settle down before serving.

Dessert, Family Favorites, Other

1 comment »

13 Responses to “My first Operation Baking Gals!”

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Amy Kingman — February 20, 2009 at 3:29 pm

That’s really cool! Thanks for sharing the info. 😀
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Carrie — February 20, 2009 at 4:26 pm

I did OBG last fall and enjoyed it I need to sign up again.
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Jess — February 20, 2009 at 4:42 pm

thank you so much for doing this, my husband just got back from 15 months deployed!

A have a quick tip for ya- since some of the soldiers are a ways out and their mail takes sometimes 4 weeks to get there, put a piece of bread (i wrapped mine in parchment paper) in with the cookies to keep them from going stale!
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Jen — February 20, 2009 at 5:03 pm

Thanks for the tip Jess. I followed the instructions on the OBG website that said that bread can sometimes mold, so instead use some apple peel. So I put some apple peel between the paper towels on the top and bottom of each container.
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~Kimberly — February 20, 2009 at 5:36 pm

Great post! Thanks for sharing all the info! I hope you join us again next round! I checked with my husband about the condition of the cookies he’s been receiving. It’s been taking about a week or so to get them, and he said they all have been so fresh! They have a “community” table in the hallway and he says the homebaked goodies disappear in a flash! They are all very appreciative! Thanks again for baking! I’m craving your cookies right now!!!
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Joelen — February 20, 2009 at 5:50 pm

How thoughtful of you! Your cookies all look delicious and I’m sure they will appreciate all the effort you put into them!
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Jen — February 20, 2009 at 5:58 pm

Thanks! I definitely plan on doing it again. Next time I probably won’t send quite as many cookies. It did end up costing quite a bit more than I expected. That’s what I get for sending 20 dozen cookies I guess…
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Sara Therese — February 20, 2009 at 9:32 pm

What a great way to show your support and share your talents. High five to you!
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Suzy — February 20, 2009 at 11:14 pm

How thoughtful of you! I used to do this for Desert Storm, and would pack it in popcorn. Just a thought.
Keep it Sweet,
Suzy
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Laura P. — February 21, 2009 at 12:29 am

just wanted to thank you for doing this…my husband served in Iraq for 16 months (yes you read that right). He said that receiving packages means the world to them. It will be much appreciated!
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DeborahSW — February 21, 2009 at 2:54 am

What a wonderful thing to do! I bet the lucky soldier will appreciate a little sweet treat from home. 🙂
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Soli Deo Gloria — February 21, 2009 at 6:00 am

You have such a generous heart! I am sure these lovely cookies will be appreciated! 🙂
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Stephanie Wagner — February 22, 2009 at 5:45 pm

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!