Birthday Crème Brulee
Ben’s favorite dessert is crème brulee. Nope, not brownies or cake—but multiple hour, easy to ruin, simple to char, velvety crème brulee. Way to take it easy on your lady!
But love meanswatching a lot of Tattoo Nightmares compromising, and putting in extra effort where extra effort is due—like on a birthday!
Lucky for Ben, crème brulee is: A. delicious; B. cheap; C. challenging yet not time consuming; and D. happening this week.
This will only be my third time tackling a homemade version, but I’m confident my modified recipe makes for a much less intimidating go of this swanky dessert. Happy, happy birthday, Ben!
Crème Brluee For Two
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks
8 cups hot water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Combine the cream, half the sugar and vanilla in a sauce pan. Heat over medium just until the mixture starts to bubble (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until well blended and slightly pale in color (3-5 minutes). Add the cream slowwwwly, stirring conssssssstantly—lest you scramble 'dem eggs.
4. Fill a baking pan about 1/3 high with hot water. Place the ramekins in the pan and check to see the water hits to about midway on the ramekins. Divide up the custard evenly into the ramekins and transfer pan to the oven being EXTRA careful not to get water into the custard.
5. Bake until the crème brulee is set (60-75 minutes), but still trembles slightly at the center when tapping the side of a ramekin. I always lean toward cooking mine on the longer side.
6. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan, cool for 30 minutes then cover with plastic wrap. Chill them anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days.
7. Before serving, top each ramekin with a light coating of sugar and quickly pop them under the broiler. I heard freezing them for 10-15 minutes right before this helps the custard stay cold and firm if you’re broiling instead of torching the tops.
Notes
My ramekins are fairly tall, this recipe fills them almost to the brim with a little extra custardy liquid to spare. You can make the same recipe with four ramekins, just bake for 40-45 minutes.
But love means
Lucky for Ben, crème brulee is: A. delicious; B. cheap; C. challenging yet not time consuming; and D. happening this week.
This will only be my third time tackling a homemade version, but I’m confident my modified recipe makes for a much less intimidating go of this swanky dessert. Happy, happy birthday, Ben!
Crème Brluee For Two
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sugar, divided
3 large egg yolks
8 cups hot water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Combine the cream, half the sugar and vanilla in a sauce pan. Heat over medium just until the mixture starts to bubble (do not boil). Remove from heat and cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar until well blended and slightly pale in color (3-5 minutes). Add the cream slowwwwly, stirring conssssssstantly—lest you scramble 'dem eggs.
4. Fill a baking pan about 1/3 high with hot water. Place the ramekins in the pan and check to see the water hits to about midway on the ramekins. Divide up the custard evenly into the ramekins and transfer pan to the oven being EXTRA careful not to get water into the custard.
5. Bake until the crème brulee is set (60-75 minutes), but still trembles slightly at the center when tapping the side of a ramekin. I always lean toward cooking mine on the longer side.
6. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan, cool for 30 minutes then cover with plastic wrap. Chill them anywhere from 2 hours to 3 days.
7. Before serving, top each ramekin with a light coating of sugar and quickly pop them under the broiler. I heard freezing them for 10-15 minutes right before this helps the custard stay cold and firm if you’re broiling instead of torching the tops.
Notes
My ramekins are fairly tall, this recipe fills them almost to the brim with a little extra custardy liquid to spare. You can make the same recipe with four ramekins, just bake for 40-45 minutes.