Creme Brulee

Why oh why have I always shied away from making Creme Brulee? I have always been intimidated by this dessert. Maybe it is because you have to use a torch. Maybe it is because there is a water bath. May it is because the name was in French and I wasn't certain how to pronounce it? Nah, those ideas don't make sense. Well, whatever
the reason, I bit the bullet and made it!

Suzie at Munch+Nibble selected one of this month's recipes for the Barefoot Bloggers. Today we are posting about Ina Garten's Creme Brulee recipe! It can be found in her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris Easy French Food You Can Make at Home. Or it can be food on the Food Network, here. I read through the reviews after I made the dessert! I was so frustrated with one of the cake recipes, that we made a month ago, when I read the reviews first. It wasn't going to happen again.

Yep, you do miss out on some good ideas, like add a vanilla bean to the custard and strain before pouring. Even without those two hints, this dessert was wonderful. It was hard to wait until until dinner to eat it!

This was quite simple and quick to make. I was surprised at how easy it was and kept asking myself why I had never done it before....I will never figure it out, I guess.



Serves 5 to 6

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Barefoot Bloggers are a group of cooks and bakers who enjoy Ina Garten and her recipes. As a group, Ina Garten's (The Barefoot Contessa) recipes are tested and retested. On the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month the Barefoot Bloggers post about their experiences preparing the recipes selected.