Food Mood: Crème Brûlée

       

Crème Brûlée is a custard-based dessert with a caramel topping. The base is usually vanilla-flavored, but it can also be fruity. This 400-year dessert is also known as burnt cream (referring to its caramelized finish), crema catalana (after its Catalan counterpart), or crème caramel. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 large egg yolks, chilled 
• 1/2 cup sugar 

Pour the sugar into the yolks and beat the yolks until smooth. Heat the cream until almost simmering and let it cool a minute. Then add it to the egg yolks one tablespoon at a time while stirring vigorously. This will temper the eggs so as to not curdle them when exposed to the heated heavy cream.Strain the mixture and add the vanilla extract. 

   

Pour the mixture into six to eight small ceramic pots (depending on their size). Place the pots in a baking pan that you half-filled with boiling water, then place it in the oven for about 1 hour. Wrap the custards in their pots in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours before serving. 

When you want to serve, put a teaspoon of sugar on top of each pot, and using a kitchen torch, heat the sugar until it bubbles and changes color. Then place the custards in a the refrigerator again for 1 hour and serve. If you didn't put your kitchen in flames, you'll love your crème brûlée.