Classic Creme Brulee

[jeepdad]

I am making a creme brulee tonight to serve for dessert tomorrow night. I have never made it before. It looks like a challenge and I get to play with fire what could be better!


Ingredients.


Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scraped out the insides. I got sticker shock when I went to the grocery store looking for vanilla beans...holy crap.


The cream, half and half, and the vanilla bean pods and stuff from the insides.


After about ten mins.


Getting the ramekins ready for their water bath. Never done a water bath cooking before.


Egg yokes, sugar, and salt mixed up.




Ramekins in the oven in the water.




After 45 mins in the oven now to the fridge to sit overnight.

Will add the sugar tomorrow evening and torch'em can't wait! Will post finished pics. I don't think I have ever had creme brulee should be interesting.

--jeepdad

Next Day:


Added the sugar to the top of the custard.


Fired up the torch!!!!






Perfect thin crust man was it good.

--jeepdad

Classic Creme Brulee

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 8 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup plus 8 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Step 1: Prepare the vanilla: Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a paring knife. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

Step 2: Infuse the cream: Bring the cream, half-and-half and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to infuse the cream with the vanilla, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Option: Make it mocha: infuse the cream with ½ cup crushed coffee beans in step 2, then strain.. Add 1/3 cup cocoa to the yokes in step 3.

Step 3: Make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale yellow and thick; it should leave a trail when you lift the whisk. Pour in the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Skim off any foam or bubbles from the surface.

Step 4: Pour into ramekins: Arrange eight 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan and divide the custard evenly among them.

Step 5: Bake in a water bath: Pull out the oven rack slightly, place the roasting pan on it and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custards are just set in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Step 6: Prepare the topping: About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard. Tilt the ramekins to evenly distribute the sugar and tap out any excess.

Step 7: Caramelize the sugar: Holding a kitchen torch about three inches away, burn the sugar until it turns a deep amber. Refrigerate the creme brulees just until the crust hardens, 30 minutes to 1 hour, but not longer (the topping may start to soften). Serve cold.

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

Looks like someone got a Creme Brulee gift set with Torch, Ramekins & cookbook

I have used Dr. Oetkers glorified stove top pudding version many times. What I have wanted to try, given the low oven temps called for... is to do it from scratch in my favored low temp cooker

Sticker shock on Vanilla beans might be relieved somewhat with Vanilla Paste.... http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/2749604/?catalogId=50&bnrid=3180501&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Froogle&cm_pla=default&cm_ite=default You get the same tell tale look of having used whole bean, and a dab smeared around the edge of the ramekins like fancy restaurants do.

If you fancy growing your own..... Here is a place that has vanilla orchid plants http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=A2533-2 The flower only appears for 1 day, so it must be hand pollinated as soon as it appears. It also prefers USDA zone 11, which is a few square miles of Southernmost Florida keys.... so obviously its an indoors plant.

I use the same style Torch that Alton Brown uses. A torch from Home Depot.
_________________
Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[Jarhead]

Jeepdad,
Try this place, I bought a pound from them, used it for home made spirits. Cheapest that I have found, at least back then.
http://www.theposter.com/vanilla2.html

Edit:
Just looked up the price, it is still the same......Tahitian Vanilla Beans 1 lb - Chef Quality $19.95
_________________
Gunny 3073/4044/8411

Jarhead's World Blog
KCBS CBJ & HMFIC Debbie's Q Shack

[Thumper]

Mighty fine looking desset Jeepdad. I will pm you my address

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

[jeepdad]

Thanks for the info guys I paid $15 for two stinking beans at the grocery store from the spice rack!

--jeepdad

[eastcoaster]

those looked great.....always seemed like a lot of work [maybe not so much]
back in the day i was doing atkins and making ginger flan....its actually really good! and it was diet!

[jeepdad]

Ginger flan sounds great got a receipe for that?

--jeepdad

[PaulOinMA]

Creme brulee is a great dessert. A lot of people don't realize just how easy it is to make.

Recipe in here ...

http://www.cuisineathome.com/main/sampleIssue.php

Lemon-ginger creme brulee is also in there.

Heating the heavy cream, half and half and vanilla sugar until steam just starts to rise ...



After adding the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks, egg, sugar and pinch of salt slowly with stirring, and right before straining it into a measuring cup with a spout ...



Ready to go in the oven ...



Thirty-five minutes later ...


_________________
Pitt's & Spitt's U2436

[PaulOinMA]

[eastcoaster]

ginger flan recipe....
now mind you this is done with splenda, but of course would be better with sugar....not sure how much to use though....but 8 packets of splenda is equel to a lot of sugar....i never strained it...so it was kinda rough as well...straining it im sure would improve the texture...
and if you end up doing atkins jello and ricotta gets old fast....
Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup water
8 packets sugar substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
Directions:

Heat oven to 350 F. Place a roasting pan on center shelf in oven and fill almost half way with boiling water. In a blender, combine yolks, eggs, cream, water, sugar substitute, vanilla, and ginger until very smooth. Pour through a sieve into a shallow 1quart baking dish. Carefully place dish in roasting pan (water should come up halfway up sides). Bake 30-35 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, lay directly over flan and chill 3 hours in refrigerator.
_________________
_________________________
off-set somone was throwing out