Kinda gotcha hooked, doesn't it?

I made one last year in a pan from Terri for Hannukah last year (scroll down to my post with final results and link). The pan was cleaned out.

The recipe was from the link below, which has lots more info for you!

Here is a link that might be useful: All you need to know about Creme Brulee

You do not "need" a torch but it typically turns out better than under a broiler. Bed & Bath, Williams Sonoma, places like that all carry them. Here is the recipe that I have good success with, from the Palm cookbook:

4 cups heavy cream
grated zest of one lemon
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine sugar (I just grind down regular sugar in mini FP)
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp superfine sugar for the brulee
30 raspberries (optional)
Fresh mint (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.

In small saucepan combine cream and zest and place over high heat. Watch closely, when bubbles appear around the edges and it is just shy of a boil remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine yolks, sugar and salt, whisk until smooth. Whisking all the time, drizzle the hot cream into the yolk mixture in a thin stream. Whisk in vanilla.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve into ten 4-oz ramekins, leaving 1/4" clearance on top. Place ramekins in a roasting pan large enough to hold them all without touching. Pour in boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins and loosely cover with foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until a quarter-sized circle in the center of each custard still trembles but is no longer liquid.

Remove ramekins from water bath and place on baking sheet, let cool at room temp for 2 hours. (They will continue to cook and firm up as they cool.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate min 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, scatter the top of each custard with 1.5 tsp superfine sugar, and shake gently to distribute sugar evenly.

Carmelize with a torch, or place 3 at a time under your broiler, watch closely and turn as needed to get even browning.

Optional - garnish each ramekin with 3 raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Thanks!!! Great info on making it. I will try the broiler, before I go out to buy a Torch. Like I need another device in this kitchen. Thanks Guy's !!! Diana55

Diana - here's the recipe we used in my baking class in Culinary school last semester. I invested in a butane torch and the cute little ramekins from the Viking Outlet store.

CRÃME BRÃLÃE

500 ml Heavy cream
1/2 Vanilla Bean
60 g Sugar
5 Egg yolks

Heat the cream and vanilla bean in saucepan over medium high heat. With a wire whisk, beat sugar into the egg yolks until it is pale yellow (blanchir). Pour the hot cream slowly into the yolk mixture; whisk until well combined.

Strain the mixture through a fine chinois into a pitcher. Scrape the vanilla bean with the tip of a paring knife to remove the remaining seeds. Stir the seeds into the custard.

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Place ramekins into a deep hotel pan. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Place the ramekins in the preheated oven and carefully pour enough water into the pan so it comes 2/3 up the side of the ramekins.

Bake until just set, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. When the custard is done, remove it from the oven and allow to cool in the water bath.

Diana, you don't need the torch. They're cute and flashy, but they're really a waste of money. (Ha! I can say that now that my income doesn't depend on selling them.) BTW, useless trivia for you: the old style of caramelizing the sugar involved a very hot metal disk on a handle.) A careful eye and the broiler works just fine.

I've made this one a couple dozen times. Keep a close eye on that sugar. Back east, it often took over a minute, here where we have very low humidity, it takes 40-45 seconds. My personal favorite for the chocolate is Valrhona.

Black and White Creme Brulee
Serves 8.
8 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 8 teaspoons sugar
3 cups whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Pour cream into heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolks. Strain custard into another large bowl. Transfer scant 2 cups custard to medium bowl. Immediately add chocolate to remaining custard in large bowl. Whisk mixture until chocolate melts and custard is smooth.
Divide chocolate custard equally among eight 2/3-cup ramekins.

Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custard is barely set in center, about 25 minutes. Transfer ramekins to baking sheet and refrigerate until tops of custards feel firm, about 30 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Spoon vanilla custard evenly over chocolate custard, dividing equally among ramekins.

Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until vanilla custard is barely set in center, about 35 minutes.
Preheat broiler.

Arrange 4 ramekins on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each. Broil until sugar browns, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining 4 custards and 4 teaspoons sugar. Refrigerate custards at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Bon Appétit : December 1997

Actually a careful hand with a butane torch will do it.
Linda C

Yup, if a Torch was good enough for Julia Child it is good enough for me.

But I do agree that some of the small torches sold for caramelizing Creme Brulee are not worth buying, Diana, if you are going to buy a torch make sure it is a good one.

Ann

Acetylene always worked for me until my family had had it with the big tank in the kitchen.

While I probably can count on one hand the number of times I have made creme brulee, my torch gets used quite a bit. It is the "source of fire" in my house, a great windproof lighter should you need to step outside and light something, nothing beats it for lighting burned down jar candles, or lighting 50 birthday candles without burning using 15 matches and burning your fingers, etc. Considering they are cheap and do not take up much space, I am happy owning one.

I have one of those small butane thingies and it works like a charm but I use it maybe twice a year...if. Use the broiler but watch it like a hawk.

But the butane torch also works for frying weeds in the sidewalk cracks ro between the patio bricks.
Linda C

Here's my recipe. I love this stuff. Don't make it often though, because I eat all six servings by myself. LOL

Burnt Cream - A rich vanilla custard with burnt sugar topping. Yummy!

1 pint whipping cream
4 egg yolks
ý cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping

4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat cream over low heat in small saucepan until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat cream into egg yolks. Stir in vanilla and put into 6 (6 oz) custard cups. Place custard cups in a baking pan that has about ý an inch of water in the bottom. Bake until set, about 45 minutes.
Remove custard cups from water and refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle each custard with about 2 teaspoons of the sugar blend. Place on top rack under broiler and cook until topping is medium brown.
Put back in the refrigerator and chill well before serving.
Makes 6 servings

I use the Creme Brulee recipe from the Joy of Cooking and a propane Bernzumatic torch to finish it off. lolol it's so much fun breaking out that bad boy for something so delicate.

Thanks for all your recipes & tips everyone. I will be making it this weekend, as I'm really sick with a bad head cold, and I just don't have the energy right now. I'm going to see Carol Burnett on Thursday night, so I will probablly make it Friday or Saturday. Thanks again everyone !!! Diana55 P.S...I will try the broiler, and then if that doesn't work for me, then I shall be purchasing a Good Torch. Hey.....I have some weeds in the walk too. Will the neighbours think I'm crazy....out there torching those bad boy's !!! :)

Got carried away there, did you, Diana? LOL!

If DH is here, he just breaks out his big torch for the job, but my hands aren't as steady as his. I'd probably drop the thing and end up breaking my foot. :)

Would a toaster oven work for scorching creme brulee? I don't have one, so I don't know exactly what can be done with a toaster oven.

Jim

I'm sure a toaster oven would work, but I don't have one. I just used the broiler, and it worked just fine. It took about 45 seconds to brown the sugar. I watched it very carefully, as it burns easily. I used berry sugar mixed with brown sugar, and it was really good. Thanks for the recipes!!! now I'm a pro at making "Creme Brulee" LOL Diana55

I stumbled upon a blog that offered another option to the brulee. This blogger caramelized the sugar on the stovetop then poured it on top of the cooked custard. I thought this was pretty clever if a torch or broiler isn't feasible.

Here is a link that might be useful: No torch or broiler? Try this.

Bravo emmisme !!! I got tired sitting on the floor ....staring into my oven....as to watch...... that I didn't burn my Creme Brulee's. Good idea!!! Thanks for the tip!!! Diana55