When I told my husband that I was making creme brûlée for my secret recipe club assignment, he nearly swooned. If you have been following Dishing the Divine for a while (and God bless you if you have… man, we’ve been through a lot together! 
) then you already know my hilarious creme brûlée story. You also know that I don’t like creme brûlée. Sometimes being a good wife means making something special just for the hubby. So, while this makes creme brûlée for two, in our house it really is just creme brûlée for one, served twice.
This recipe comes compliments of Fried Ice and Donut Holes, one of my fellow Secret Recipe Club bloggers. Melissa started her blog at the exact same time that I started mine, so I guess we’re blogging sisters! Melissa and I also seem to have similar perspectives on our blogs: they are a great way to share recipes with our friends and family, but, better yet, they’re a fabulous way to keep all our recipes in one place so that we can access them no matter where we are. If you’re like me, you are wondering where Melissa got such a strange name for her blog. The answer is so cute! I’ll let you read it for yourself.
I decided that Cook’s Illustrated’s method for making creme brûlée may be a bit more involved but would result in more even results. The main difference in the two cooking methods is that Cook’s Illustrated suggests boiling the cream and sugar before putting the custard in the oven. This ensures that the sugar is completely dissolved into the cream mixture and does not sink to the bottom of the custard. They also recommend cooking the custard at a lower temperature and for a shorter time. I love recipes that involve using a thermometer to determine doneness since descriptions with color and jiggle-factor don’t really make sense to my very mathematical brain. I appreciate it when Cook’s Illustrated includes these details.
Recipe inspiration: Fried Ice and Donut Holes
Cooking methods: Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
- Combine the cream and 1/4 sugar in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Take pan off heat, add the vanilla, and let cool 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Place two ramekins in an 8x8 or similarly sized oven-safe container.
- After the cream has cooled a bit, whisk the yolks in a large bowl until broken up. Whisk the cream mixture into the yolks until combined. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.
- Carefully place the baking dish with the ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into the baking dish, taking care not to splash water into the ramekins, until the water reaches two-thirds height of the ramekins. Bake until centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy and digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes (25 to 30 minutes for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temperature about 5 minutes before recommended time.
- Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
- Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place a paper towel on the surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon sugar (1 1/2 teaspoons for shallow fluted dishes); tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30 to 45 minutes (but no longer); serve.
9 responses so far ↓
1 sara // Feb 27, 2012 at 9:28 am
This looks fantastic! I adore creme brulee…so creamy and delicious…so need to try it at home some day!
2 Jill (JBean Cuisine) // Feb 27, 2012 at 12:53 pm
This looks absolutely delicious. My husband, much like yours, would swoon if I make this for him – which I will now with your description/recipe – gotta love CI for their details.
Great post fellow Group D member
3 Jo // Feb 27, 2012 at 12:56 pm
I love creme brulee! This would be a recipe that served either the both of us, or on a better day, just me!
4 Lisa~~ // Feb 27, 2012 at 1:27 pm
You’re better than me, this would be creme brulee for one…one time only. Delicious!
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my Group ‘A’ SRC entry: Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites and my Group ‘D’ entry: Health(ier) Peanut Brittle
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
5 Melissa // Feb 27, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Hi “blogging sister” it is so nice to “meet” you! Thank you for the kind words about my blog. You are such a kind person for making your husband a dessert you don’t like!!
6 Jenni // Feb 27, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Oh, lovely! I am a big fan of creme brulee but have never attempted making it at home. But with a recipe as good as this, I might have to try!
7 Tammy // Feb 27, 2012 at 10:41 pm
It’s not common to find recipes that are written for 1-2 servings so this is great.
8 SallyBR // Feb 28, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Agree with Tammy… I love the fact his makes only TWO servings.
we love creme brulle but I avoid making it unless we have company. This is a nice way to have a surprise for my hubby on a dinner just for him and me
Lovely photos too!
9 Kristy Lynn @ Gastronomical Sovereignty // Feb 28, 2012 at 3:59 pm
creme brulee makes me swoon too. i almost had to close the browser when i read it isn’t something you dig…. that being said, you’re a very clever and wonderful blogger so I kept reading instead
Happy SRC day