When we lived in Las Vegas my husband and I would occasionally go to one of the many buffets to eat for date night. There were lots to choose from, but there was one that had the most gorgeous desserts. I don't usually get dessert when we go out but the ones at this place were too good to pass up.
They had all kinds of homemade pies, and pastries, and tarts, and cookies, and even gelato... mmm, the gelato, SO good! I think I can taste it now!
Among all these wonderful culinary creations I discovered a love for a dessert which I hadn't had much previous experience with - Creme Brûlée. Something about the silky texture, delicious vanilla-y taste, and a warm caramelized sugar on top really hit the spot for me. I'm not sure that their's was any better than anywhere else, but it sure was good, and I found myself looking forward to date nights at that restaurant just because of it.
Well, now that we've moved away from Buffet City, um, I mean Las Vegas, it's back to skipping the desserts when we go out (which is probably a good thing). And I thought my Creme Brûlée days were a thing of the past.
I never even considered that I could make them myself. I didn't have a recipe, or a torch to caramelize the top, and I figured that the whole process of actually making such a thing must be pretty difficult.
But, things change! A while back, while perusing through Pinterest I came across a pin for a Creme Brûlée recipe that claimed to be easy, so of course I pinned it. Then, the stars really aligned when I found an inexpensive torch for sale at a garage sale.
It seemed like fate was telling me it was time to try making my own Creme Brûlée! And when fate tells me something, I know I'd better get to it (that's good justification for dessert, right?!?).
So, I did just that, and besides a few malfunctions with the garage sale torch, this recipe was pretty easy, and so delicious! It does take some time since you have to cook and cool, etc. but the process isn't difficult, and the results are definitely worth the wait!!
Here's the recipe I followed to make my very first (and I'm sure not my last) Creme Brûlée:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 quarts hot water
- ½ cup sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream and vanilla. Stir constantly over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes until mixture starts to bubble, close to a simmer.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Cover and let set for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar and the egg yolks until it is well blended and just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually until everything is combined.
- Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake at 325 degrees F, just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center. Bake approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
- Remove the ramekins from pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- Remove the creme brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top.
- Divide the remaining ½ cup sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy and browned top. The Creme Brûlée needs to sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
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