Crème Brulee (recipe)

After receiving a blow torch for my birthday, I had no more excuses not to make crème brulee's! Whilst I was pretty apprehensive about making these after hearing stories of them not setting, I did my homework and found some tips that helped produce perfectly set crème brulees. Don't let all my extra writing in italics put you off from attempting this recipe, they're just there to help explain some reasons for non-setting crème brulees. The main instructions are in bold ;)

This recipe is best made the day before you wish to serve it.

Recipe from Masterchef's Crème Brulee (slightly adapted)

Ingredients:

600ml thickened cream (must be full fat! otherwise the crème brulee won't set)

1 vanilla bean

6 egg yolks

1/4 cup of caster sugar

demerara sugar to sprinkle on top

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 110°C (fan forced) or 120°C electric oven

    It's important to note that every oven differs in terms of it's temperature. 110 degrees for my oven may not be the same for yours. For example, my oven tends to run hot hence I lowered the temperature by 10 degrees from the original recipe. For this recipe, it is important that your oven is not too hot otherwise the crème brulee will curdle and not set

2. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, using the back of your knife to scrape out the seeds. 

3. Place the vanilla bean (seeds and all!) into a medium sized saucepan with the thickened cream and bring to a scalding point over low heat. Remove immediately from the heat. It is important not to BOIL the cream

   Scalding refers to the stage just before boiling. Small bubbles should start to appear around the sides, the cream should NOT reach the 'rolling' boil stage. Boiling the cream will denature the proteins, preventing the crème brulee from setting.

  Using a low heat draws out maximum flavour from the vanilla bean, allowing it to infuse fully into the cream.  

4. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl until the mixture becomes extremely pale and thick. 

 The paler the mixture, the creamier your crème brulee will be!

5. Using a balloon whisk, continually whisk the egg yolk mixture whilst slowly pouring in the hot cream. 

6. Strain mixture into a jug, removing the vanilla bean*

7. Gently run a blow torch across the surface of the mixture, removing excess air bubbles

   The removal of excess air bubbles prevents the crème brulee's from forming a foamy skin of risen vanilla seeds

8. Divide mixture evenly into 6 ramekins and place in a roasting pan lined with a folded tea towel. Pour boiling water into the pan, half way up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil, and poke a hole above each ramekin.

9. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard has just set.

   Whilst Masterchef recommended 40 minutes, mine did not set until 1 hour and 40 minutes! (Again, probably due to the difference in Masterchef's kitchen test ovensvand my old, always breaking down oven). Therefore it's important to constantly check your crème brulees. When ready, they should still wobble slightly as the cream thickens upon cooling. Also, make sure your tea towel is always submerged under water...fire safety!

10. Remove crème brulee's from the water bath and cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge overnight or until set (atleast 2 hours)

11. Just before serving, sprinkle over an even layer of demerara sugar and run the blowtorch over the custards until the sugar bubbles and caramelises.

Final tips:

• If you don't have a blowtorch, placing the crème brulee's under a grill works just as well
• If your crème brulee's still aren't setting after what seems like FOREVER, remove the foil
• After spending money on real vanilla it would be such a shame to throw away the vanilla bean! Instead, rinse under some cold water and throw it into your sugar jar to make some yummy vanilla flavoured sugar!

PS. please ignore the burnt black bits on my crème brulee's...I clearly haven't mastered the art of blow torching yet. hehe