Crème (Brûlée) of the Crop Velvety Custard Meets Crisp Sugar
 

Crème brûlée has been venerated by more than a few cooking experts as one of the most elegant desserts every created. Pronounced “krehm broo-LAY,” it is an exceedingly rich custard whose literal translation is “burnt cream.” As such, it differs from the more common flan in a few significant ways.
First, flan is most often baked in one large tart pan, while crème brûlée is almost always prepared in individual custard cups or ramekins.
Most flan recipes use milk and/or half-and-half and whole eggs, but a true crème brûlée calls for heavy cream and egg yolks, yielding a thicker, velvety consistency.
The most important distinction is the way crème brûlée is finished. Whereas a typical flan includes a caramelized sugar syrup on the bottom, the cold crème is sprinkled with brown or granulated sugar and quickly caramelized under the broiler or with a special torch. The topping becomes brittle, producing a notable flavor and textural contrast to the smooth, creamy custard beneath.
Definitely not for calorie- or cholesterol-watchers, crème brûlée nonetheless makes an extraordinary warm-weather finale to a special dinner. It is also one of the simplest desserts to fix—a lot less fuss than a pie or cake.
Mindful that June is National Dairy Month, we present a trio of crème brûlée treatments for your next get-together. (Any of these recipes can easily be halved.)

Crème Brûlée Basics

•Plan on fixing this dessert several hours or a day in advance to allow the custard to become very firm and well chilled.

•Always bake the individual custard cups in a water bath, which keeps the ingredients from baking too quickly. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with paper towels or a kitchen towel, add your filled custard cups, and then pour in about one inch of boiling water.

•To finish the dessert, sprinkle each custard cup with ½ to 1 tablespoon of brown or granulated sugar (depending on the recipe). Broil about 4 inches from the heat source for 3 minutes, or until the sugar has completely melted. You can also invest in a kitchen torch (available at any cookware store), which allows you to complete this step safely and more quickly on your counter top.

•Return the desserts to the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. This allows the sugar topping to harden and assures that the custard underneath will be firm.

Classic Crème Brûlée

The late Craig Claiborne was a long-time food editor of the New York Times who wielded tremendous influence on gastronomic trends in America. His “New York Times Cookbook,” in which this recipe appears, was published over 40 years ago and is still timeless.

3 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar
6 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup brown sugar

Place the cream in the top part of a double boiler and heat it over boiling water. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. In a medium bowl, with a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks until thick and gradually beat in the hot cream, stirring vigorously. Add the vanilla. Strain the mixture into 6 to 8 spray-coated custard cups or ramekins, and place the filled cups in a water bath as described above. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before refrigerating for several hours.
About 1 hour before serving, sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar, and broil in the oven or with a kitchen torch until the sugar is caramelized. Return to the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8.

Coffee Crème Brûlée

If you do not have instant or ground espresso at home, go to any coffee bar and order one or two shots to go.

6 egg yolks
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
½ cup brewed espresso
2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
¼ cup brown sugar, for finishing

Whisk together the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a heavy medium saucepan, gently heat the next 3 ingredients just until simmering. (This infuses the cream with the coffee flavoring.) Remove from the heat, and stir in the Kahlua. Gradually add the cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour into 8 spray-coated 6-ounce custard cups, and place in a water bath as directed above. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until set. Cool on a wire rack, and chill several hours or overnight. Finish as described above. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 8.

White Chocolate Crème Brûlée

White chocolate offers a subtle hint of chocolate without overpowering the other ingredients.

5 egg yolks
½ cup sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream
1 (4 ounce) bar good quality white
chocolate, coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup brown sugar, for finishing
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl with ¼ cup of the sugar. Meanwhile, in a heavy medium saucepan, heat the cream with the remaining sugar until it simmers. Reduce the heat to low, and add the chopped chocolate, whisking until smooth. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Add the vanilla, and ladle the mixture into 8 spray-coated 6-ounce custard cups. Place in a water bath as described above, and bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until set in the center. Cool on a wire rack before refrigerating for several hours or overnight. About 1 hour before serving, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and finish as described above. Return to the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serves 8.

Ginnie Manuel is a Midlothian-based freelance writer and cookbook editor whose food columns have appeared in The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Columbia (MD) Flier and the Mid-York Weekly Pennysavers.

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