Creme Brulee's literal translation is "burnt cream". It derives its name from the sugar being burnt on top, giving creme brulee custard it's sweet, crunchy crust. Most people think creme brulee is harder to make than it really is. Custard, the standard beginning for all ice creams, panna cottas, pot de cremes and other custard based dessert is, for the most part, pretty easy to make; the hard part is the bake off in the oven.
Baking a perfect creme brulee can be difficult. You run the risk of burning yourself with hot water when you fill in a shallow pan for the brulees to bake in, probably the most common of all problems. It is also common to over-bake the brulee's by leaving them in, even one minute too long, resulting in curdling. The best way to get a perfect creme brulee is to, "no-bake" them, using gelatin instead, much like a panna cotta. You can warm the top by sprinkling sugar and using a blow torch or a large hand-lighter to brulee it. So how do you get the perfect creme brulee without burning yourself or turning on the oven? This recipe is just as creamy as the mind-blowing dessert you splurge on at your favorite restaurant.
No-Bake Creme Brulee - Also Known as Creme Brulee a Froid
makes 4
- 4 cups of cream
- 240 grams of egg yolk or 15 egg yolks
- 180 grams of sugar or 1 1/4 cup
- 8 grams of gelatin or 3 leaves
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (extract is also fine)
- Pinch of salt
Directions:
- Place the 3 leaves of gelatin in a bowl of ice water. Put off to the side for later use.
- Warm cream and vanilla bean on low-medium heat, you want the cream hot, however, do not scald.
- Remove cream from stove.
- Mix together sugar and yolk. DO NOT mix sugar and yolk together until you are ready to use them. Sugar burns the yolk, creating holes, which will result in uneven setting of the custard.
- Temper in the warm cream, adding the cream about 1/4 cup at a time.
- Cook on stove top at low heat until a meat thermometer or candy thermometer reaches 84-86 degrees Celsius. Remove from heat.
- Take gelatin leaves out of water and wring the water out of them. Add them to the custard and mix slowly until they dissolve.
- Strain. Pour into large baking dish or into 4 individual ramekins.
- Allow about 2 hours for them to set. When you are ready for them, add 2 T sugar on top and melt with blowtorch or lantern lighter.
Carol Hilker - Carol Hilker is a Freelance writer based in San Francisco, CA. Originally from Chicago, IL, Carol grew up studying theater, dance and ...
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