This Creme Brulee recipe will make your mouth water

It comes from the culinary school of the rockies and Johns restaurant, in Boulder CO where my brother and I attended culinary school and apprenticed in a classic French restaurant.

This french dessert recipe gives the general procedure for making a sweet baked custard dessert. The exception is that caramel is hardened on top with a handheld blow torch at the end – you can purchase one of these nifty kitchen gadgets at your local hardware store…

The creme brulee recipe was first mentioned by François Massialot’s in his 1691 cookbook, “Cuisinier roial et bourgeois” (royal and borgeoise cooking). This just goes to show how superb this dessert is, having survived so long…

Best of all, this free online recipe can be simple, quick and easy.

Essentially it is a baked custard dessert consisting of eggs, sugar, milk, and flavorings (traditionally vanilla). It can be enhanced with some form of liqueur or small diced fruit.

The firm, rubbery texture of this creme brulee recipe is characteristic of baked custard desserts, which use the solidifying effect of eggs to coagulate or “set” the liquid flavored concoction.

A well made baked custard should hold an edge when cut. Since this classic French dessert is presented cold in ramekins, with a hard caramel top it may not be as important in appearance as a Flan, for example..

Ingredients: Yield = about 6 cups

1 qt. Heavy Cream
6 oz. Sugar
10 ea. Egg Yolks
1 ea. Vanilla bean, split and scraped

Techniques/Method:

1. Combine cream, half the sugar and vanilla in a pot and barely scald.

2. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar.

3. Temper the hot liquid into yolk mixture. Strain through a chinois into a pitcher. Remove as much of the foam from the top of the mixture as possible.

4. Pour into ramekins or crème brulée dishes.

5. Set up a hot water bath for the ramekins and cover with aluminum foil.

6. Bake at 325°F until done – approximately 30 – 40 minutes or so depending on size. It can take much less time, so check in 15 minutes to see how they are doing. When done should be just barely set in the center and shimmy when gently shaken.

7. Cool to room temperature briefly, then wrap well and refrigerate until chilled and set.

8. To serve, sprinkle sugar evenly over tops of custard and caramelize under salamander or with a blowtorch.

9. Serve immediately. Enjoy~