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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!

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29 Comments

  1. chocolatechic says:

    Looks wonderful.

  2. Anne says:

    Your creme brulee looks wonderful! Mine took longer than expected too (at least the end result was delicious!)

  3. Engineer Baker says:

    Beautiful top! And I agree – real vanilla bean all the way. You really taste the difference

  4. Cathy says:

    It looks perfect! Your carmelization is a vision. It’s so fun to read about how this compares to Tyler Florence’s version. Sorry about the mushy raspberries and fuzzy strawberries, but I don’t think your creme brulee is missing a thing!

  5. alexandra's kitchen says:

    such a classic dessert! I haven’t made this in forever, but you have inspired me to find my blow torch and have at it!

  6. CB says:

    Honestly I had to double check that I wasn’t reading my blog while reading yours! We both mentioned wikipedia (omg love wiki!) and vanilla beans! You are so my TWD baking twin! HAHA. Glad you enjoyed the creme brulee. I know I did!
    Clara @ iheartfood4thought

  7. Ingrid says:

    Oh, would you mind if I added you to my blogroll?
    Thanks!
    ~ingrid

  8. Ingrid says:

    Mmmm, I love creme brulee, as well. Yours looks terrific.
    ~ingrid

  9. Maria says:

    Great photos!! Your brulee looks perfect! And great job on your DB Challenge too! The crackers look great!

  10. Rachel says:

    Your pictures look great! I sat this week out but if (ok when) I end up making this one, I will definitely use a vanilla bean.