Simple vanilla crème brûlée that comes in a single-serve size that can feed two mouths. There are only 5 things you need to make this delicious dessert at home.
There has been love between baked egg custards and me for a long time. Some of them are moody, but when they work, they make the most delicious and fancy dessert recipe. If you add a small batch to this, you'll have a great meal. These are the five things you should already have in your home for the recipe. You can also make it the night before, burn it the next morning, and serve.
Crème brûlée wasn't my first choice when I was looking for fun and easy desserts to make for Valentine's Day. It sounds like a lot of work and is hard to understand for someone who doesn't bake often. Seeing this made me think that there must be a simple way to make this recipe quickly and keep it small enough for two people to share. It looks lovely and is sweet to serve at the end of a meal.
This meal could be used to impress someone else, but you could also just enjoy it by yourself to impress yourself. I think one serving is two pieces, so this recipe makes enough for three people. Give yourself a little extra to enjoy because it's so creamy, rich, and light that you won't want to stop eating it. This post with the recipe will tell you everything you need to know to make this dessert. We will go over a lot of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about it, and I will also give you some professional tips at the end that you should remember before you make this crème brûlée.
What is crème brûlée made of?
Heavy cream, egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and a little salt are all you need to make crème brûlée. I added a little brandy to the mix, but you don't have to.
Is this a single serve recipe?
Yes, this dish makes a small amount and serves two people. But it can also feed three people. Single serve or small batch recipes are those that are smaller and use fewer ingredients. They also take less time to make. You can make this recipe in one dish or divide it between two ramekins.
Where did crème brûlée come from? Does Italy have crème brûlée?
This is going to cause some debate. The dish is said to have come from France, but there are records of a cooked, burnt custard in England and Spain. You might see them called Trinity Cream, Burnt Cream, or Crema Catalina/Catalana. Each one is an egg custard that is baked and steamed until it's almost set. Then it's frozen and the sugar is added to brûlée it so the top gets browned.
Is crème brûlée served hot or cold?
One recipe that is cooked and then served cold is crème brûlée. The top may be warm from the burnt sugar, but the bottom will be cold.
Is crème brûlée basically a custard?
It IS a custard, crème brûlée. But the custard is cooked. Custard can be cooked, boiled, or mixed. For crème brûlée, you bake a custard in a water bath, or Bain Marie, to make a gentle heat that helps the egg whites set the custard without breaking. To steam a custard, all you need is a little water and a lid. You don't even need an oven. Crème anglaise or crème pastry is mixed custard. It is made on the stove with a wooden spoon or whisk. People use them as stuffing and sauces for treats like cakes, pies, and other sweets.
What is crème brûlée famous for?
When you bite into crème brûlée, the hard caramel on top makes a popping sound. The custard on the bottom is rich and smooth. The toffee is mostly warm, but the custard is cold.
Why is it called crème brûlée?
The French word crème brûlée means "burnt cream" in English. Basically, the cream custard is baked, and then the sugar is burned on top to make a caramel crust.
Whats the difference between crème brûlée and custard?
Custard is a rich treat made with egg whites, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. It is baked in an oven with water in it until it is just set. There could be caramel sauce at the bottom of the custard that turns into a sauce when you turn it over. A similar process is used to make crème brûlée. The only difference is that sugar is put on top after it has been cooked and then it is burned or brûléed until it turns caramelised and has a crunchy crust.
Can I use the stove to bake or steam this crème brûlée?
You can steam this custard over the stove in a steamer or in a large stock pot with a wire rack at the bottom and some water in it. Put the dish with the custard into the pot, cover it with cling film or foil and poke holes in it with a knife to let the steam escape. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the custard is set and the bow moves when you shake it.
How do I make crème brûlée that's crunchy? Do I need a blow torch to set the custard on fire?
To melt and caramelise the sugar, it needs to be burned long enough. While a blow torch can be used, you can also caramelise the sugar in the oven with the top grill or broiler after baking if you don't have one. This will stop cooking the custard. After putting the custard in the fridge for an hour or two, I like to torch it.
Why is my crème brûlée not browning?
To get that brûlée, the top needs to be very heavy. There is only a high-heat grill or blow torch that will make this happen. The sugar has to melt first, then it will caramelise. The sugar will take longer to melt and caramelise if the heat isn't high enough. However, the custard could get too cooked if this happens, which is why I like to chill it before torching it so the temperature doesn't rise right away.
What ingredients do you need to make this crème brûlée recipe?
We need heavy cream, vanilla extract, egg yolks, salt, and brandy to make this crème brûlée recipe. We do need a little more sugar on top to make it burn. Adding cinnamon, almond extract, orange zest, and even a little lemon zest can make it taste better. I've also made this dish with rose water, orange blossom water, and lime zest. It tastes great and has a very Middle Eastern feel to it.
What do you need to make this recipe for crème brûlée?
We need a bowl, a whisk, a sauce pot, and a strainer to mix the custard. I like to bake the custard in a 6x4-inch square pan because it's easy to share after it's done. Putting the custard mix into the dish makes it half full. Remember that the cooking time will depend on how big the dish is. The baking time goes down as the dish size goes up, and up as the dish size goes down. The dish is put in a big tray with hot water and baked in the oven.
How to make this crème brûlée for two recipe?
Turn on the kettle to make water hot and heat the oven to 150℃. Put the heavy cream and vanilla in a sauce pot and turn the heat down to low. Put the egg whites and sugar in a bowl and whisk them together until they are smooth. Slowly pour the hot heavy cream mixture into the egg mixture while mixing all the time. Then add the brandy and salt and whisk again. Pour it into a 6x4-inch baking dish through a strainer. Put this dish on a bigger baking sheet. Half way up the bigger baking tray, pour hot water in. Soak the custard in hot water for about 30 minutes. The exact time will depend on the size of the baking dish. The custard should move around in the middle when you take it out of the oven. Put it in the fridge for two hours to chill. Then, sprinkle sugar on top and burn it for a couple of minutes under a hot oven grill on the top rack using a blow torch or your palm. Do this again to get a thicker caramel crust on top. It can be served right away by itself or with fresh raspberries.
Serving and storing this crème brûlée recipe:
After you bake this crème brûlée, you should put it in the fridge for at least two hours. The custard should be cooled down as soon as it's done so it doesn't cook too much in the dish's leftover heat. Then I put sugar on top and torch it to make the caramelised crunch. I like to serve this dessert cold with fresh strawberries and sea salt flakes. It can also be served just the way it is. It's a small-batch recipe, so there won't be much left over. If you do, cover the dish with foil or cling film and put it in the fridge for a day. Remember that the brûlée won't be crunchy when it's cold because the sugar will melt and turn into a sauce. So, I would recommend NOT keeping it and eating it right away.
If you bake them in different plates, you can only brûlée the one you want to eat and keep the other one in the fridge for two days covered. When you're ready to eat it, sprinkle it with sugar, torch the top, and serve. Bake these ahead of time and put them in the fridge for two days until you're ready to torch and brûlée them.
Pro tips to make the PERFECT crème brûlée at home:
- We don't want to add air to the custard, so don't mix the eggs too much.
- Warm the cream and vanilla together, then add it slowly to the egg yolk mix.
- Put the custard through a strainer to get rid of any lumps and make sure the mixture is smooth.
- Before baking, turn the oven up.
- Do not put hot water into the custard dish; instead, bake the custard in a water bath filled with hot water. Do not bake the custard for too long; when you take it out of the oven, it should still be jiggly.
- Before you brûlée it, let the custard cool for two hours.
- Spread two layers of sugar out evenly on top for torching, and serve right away.
