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I was very excited about this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe because I love and I mean love crème brûlée. According to wikipedia, crème brûlée is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a grill, or with a blowtorch or other intense heat source and it is usually served cold in individual ramekins. I have made crème brûlée many times, but I usually use a Tyler Florence recipe that can be found by clicking here.
Both recipes make a delicious crème brûlée, but I think Dorie’s version is a bit more simplistic; it does not yield as as many servings, thus less work. In comparison to Dorie’s recipe, Tyler’s version has a varied method, is cooked at a higher temperature (325 F) and is cooked for a shorter amount of time using a water bath (bain-marie). Dorie’s version calls for pure vanilla extract, I exchanged this ingredient for one whole vanilla bean that I split and scraped the seeds out of. Once this was done, I put the entire bean along with the seeds into the pan with the cream and milk while it came to a boil. This process infuses the vanilla flavor and leaves behind those beautiful black flecks that I love so much! I did run into a bit of an issue with the cooking time…I planned my baking time according to the directions, but after 50 minutes, the crème brûlée was still pure liquid. Since I had a roast waiting to be tossed into the oven I had to pump up the oven temp to get these babies cooked. It ended up taking over 70 minutes until the middle jiggled ever so slightly. I did use the correct size dishes, they were actually a little smaller than Dorie recommended. Despite the cooking time, this dessert was delicious and I will definitely use this recipe again. I usually use fresh berries to top my crème brûlée; however, my grocery store limited my choices to mushy raspberries or slightly fuzzy strawberries…needless to say, I passed on both! If this post left you wanting some more crème brûlée pics and commentary, check out the TwD blogroll by clicking here. For the recipe, check of Mari’s blog, Mevrouw Cupcake.
*Note– If anyone has been contemplating becoming a part of TwD, I encourage you succumb to the pressure and act quickly…they are capping the group off as of October 31. For more info click here.
*Note #2– Stay tuned because next Tuesday I will have a little giveaway to celebrate fall!
*Note #2– Stay tuned because next Tuesday I will have a little giveaway to celebrate fall!
beautiful pictures! And real beans. Wow. You inspire me!!!
Another great recipe for TwD – I tell ya, I could eat this stuff every day and never get sick of it! LOL.
Beautiful pictures. I love the one with the custard sliding off the spoon. So tempting!
Oh, so pretty! The mint adds a fresh note to your picture; who needs berries, anyway? I like the simplicity of this recipe also, although I made the tea variation that added a step or two. It was a problem to be waiting for the oven – those babies just would not cook!
Nancy
Wow! These look so tasty! I love the hoots too!
beautiful photos, with mint leaves!
Yum…. Your creme brulee looks absolutely delicious!
Beautiful job! Count me in the ranks of Creme Brulee fans. I hadn’t ever made it before and I am now smitten! Gonna have to try it with the bean next time (I love those little specks too!).
Your pictures are top notch! That looks wonderful. Isn’t it great when we get to make something that we love?
looks absolutely luxurious! and you know how it’s done–vanilla brulee should definitley be made with a real bean!