Recipes For 2005

Creme Brulee

3 Cups heavy cream
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 large orange
6 Large egg yolks
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup light-brown sugar

Heat oven to 350. Oven should be at this temperature for at least 10 minutes.

Pour cream into a 6-cup saucepan, stir in vanilla extract and orange zest, and bring to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 5 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl for several minutes until the yolks are thick, pale yellow, and form a slowly dissolving ribbon when dropped from whisk back into the bowl.

Slowly, by dribbles, so as not to scramble the egg mixture, add half a cup of hot cream into the yolks, stirring (not beating -- you donu2019t want bubbles.) Add remaining cream in a slow stream, stirring. Set a fine sieve over a bowl large enough to hold all of the mixture, and strain the custard mixture through it to eliminated any bits of egg and orange zest. Skim off any bubbles.

Arrange 8 ramekins in a baking dish large enough to accommodate all of them. The baking dish should have, at least, 2u201d deep sides. Pour, or ladle, ½ cut of custard into each, leaving ¼ u201c at the top for the glaze. Set baking pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water around the ramekins to come halfway up the ramekins.

Bake custards for 30 - 35 minutes, until the tops are set but the custard in the center is still quite soft to the touch. Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven, and lift the ramekins

From the oven, and lift the ramekins from the hot water. Let them cool briefly, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours. Glaze as follows:

Loosen the brown sugar if packed and break up lumps with your fingers. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so over each custard and smooth it gently with the back of a spoon, forming an even layer of sugar that completely covers the surface. Ignite the torch and point the flame downward over the ramekins keeping flame about 8u201d above the sugar. Move flame over sugar constantly until sugar melts about 10 seconds, depending on the power of the torch. When all of the custards have been crusted, wait a few seconds to harden, then serve.

For broiler method: set prepared ramekins on cookie sheet. Turn on broiler. Set ramekins under broiler about 5u201d from the heat. Leave oven door open so you can watch sugar melting and begin to caramelize. Turn sheet around, if necessary, to caramelize evenly. Remove ramekins as soon as brown sugar has turned a smooth sheet of brown glaze.