Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Blackberry Creme Brulee with Brown Sugar Sauce

Best crème brûlée ever.

When I die, please bury me in a giant vat of this amazingly perfect custard. It’s so incredible, it made crème brûlée hating Dishboy Scott moan and proclaim it to be about the best thing he’s ever put in his mouth.

It’s that good. It’s so good my husband Jesse, who could care less about dessert, inhaled half the batch in less than 24 hours.

Make this custard and you’ll thank me again and again. In fact, skip dinner and eat this instead. Why bother with dinner at all when there could possibly be such a perfect dessert in your life?

Blackberry Crème Brûlée with Brown Sugar Sauce
Printer Version
Like magic, brown sugar makes it’s own sauce on the bottom of each ramekin.


Special tools you’ll need are 8 four-ounce ramekins, a fine mesh sieve (strainer) and a torch of some kind. I use Jesse’s shop propane torch (more fire=more fun), but you can buy a little brûlée torch at most fancy kitchen stores.


2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 cup or so fresh or frozen blackberries
8 teaspoons dark brown sugar, divided
Sugar for brûlée


1. Place 8 four-ounce ramekins in a metal 9x13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and set a kettle of water to boil.

2. Place the heavy cream in a 3 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring often until just the point of boiling. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl whisk together egg yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Whisking the entire time, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot heavy cream into the egg mixture. Then pour the egg mixture into the heavy cream while whisking.

4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large clean bowl. Place 1 teaspoon brown sugar into each ramekin. Place blackberries over brown sugar so they are nearly touching, but not packed. Slowly ladle cream mixture evenly into the ramekins, scraping all of it out of the bowl with a spatula.

5. Pull the oven rack out about half way and place the pan on it. Pour the hot water into the pan until it’s about half way up the ramekins. Bake for 35 minutes. Custards should be mainly set around the edges, but the center will still be jiggly.

6. Carefully move the custards to a cooling rack. Once cool, move to the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours.

7. To Brûlée: Sprinkle custard tops with about a teaspoon of granulated sugar and torch with fire until deeply golden brown pulling back the torch as needed so the sugar doesn’t char.

Recipe and photographs by Laura Flowers.


30 comments:

Jennifer said...

This is AWESOME! I have blackberry bushes, so we're getting ready for an early summer harvest. I can't wait to make this with my fresh berries!

natasha {schue love} said...

UMMM are you kidding me right now? This looks insanely good!!! xo

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Considering the amount of blackberries in my freezer, I'm so making this. This looks and sounds beyond delicious! Plus, it's been way to long since I got to use my torch ;o)

Joanne said...

I'm all for giving up dinner in favor of creme brulee. In fact, I think I should make it it's own food group. Yeah?

ann said...

I never made Creme Brulee but i think I will now. This looks fantastic.

Pat said...

I make Creme Brulee all the time but have never strained through a sieve. Why is this done? Mine always turns out perfectly without doing so.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Pat,

It catches the micro mini egg bits, but if your's always turns out perfectly please skip that step. I'm not quite that talented!

Laura

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Haha I know what you mean. My non-food boyfriend told me yesterday that the cupcakes I'd made were "perfect," which means about 10x what it would coming from anyone else since he so rarely raves about food. This creme brulee certain does look deserving of all that praise. Wishing I could grab that bowl right outta the screen 8).

Anonymous said...

Yummmm! I've never made this before...but I'm on the hunt tonight for something sweet and this might just do the trick!
http://thegraydogdesign.blogspot.com/

Sue said...

I know I say this all the time, Laura, but I really need to make this! My nephew gave me a little torch and four ramekins(a couple of years ago) that I have never used. It's time. :)

love lives in the kitchen said...

wow! blackberries and creme brule are just a perfect combination!
have a sweet day,
justyna

notyet100 said...

this looks so delicious,.

Amee said...

I have never made creme brulee, but I might start now. You did a good job selling it, esp w/ the vat-death piece. :) why is is that we married men who are not foodies/dessert-ies? maybe you can't have 2 foodies in one household? we're too territorial? :)

Krysta said...

Oh yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! I have to make this. Thanks, Laura!

Unknown said...

This looks so good. I love love creme brulee.

VegeCooking Club said...

My mother in law would love this as it's her favorite dessert! Me? I could just eat those fresh blackberries!

Pink Little Cake said...

Creme brulee is one of my favorite desserts, this one seems delicious. No wonder Jessie almost ate the whole thing.

Table Talk said...

I love the color and added texture the blackberries give this creme brulee; the perfect combination of flavors all in one place!

Velva said...

I would not mind being buried in a vat of creme brulee myself! Love the texture of custard. No doubt yours is like silk. Awesome.

Velva

Veronica said...

I've never had creme brulee before but you going crazy for this has convinced me I MUST try it b/c you are usually very casual in your reviews of recipes. I really don't think you've ever said something was amazing, perfect, or incredible before! It's one reason I like you, that you don't go overboard in exclamations (which is a contrast to my own drama), but when you do make them, I know by now to stand up at take note. I'm making these! (How can I make the crackly top without a torch...or where do I find one?)

Anonymous said...

Looks amazing and just in time for Spring!

Queen of Tarts said...

This looks absolutely mouth-watering! I can't wait to try it out. You say frozen or fresh blackberries, would it be possible to use canned?

The Queen Of Tarts
blog.oregonfruit.com

The Cooking Photographer said...

Erin my Oregon Fruit friend of course you could! Why didn't I think of that?

Only if they're Oregon Fruit Blackberries of course. :)

Laura

Dee D. said...

That looks...AMAZING! I'm sitting here drooling!

envierecipes said...

Great combination! Can't wait to try it. I think that blackberries might be just what creme brulee needs...no fun in being a purist! Thanks!

Mary @Delightful Bitefuls said...

WOW! That looks absolutely perfect!

Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls

scrambledhenfruit said...

I think this would be the perfect dinner. :) It has fruit and milk in it, right? That's halfway to a balanced meal, isn't it? It looks wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Time for me to buy a torch, you have convinced me..... oh, this looks so decantly wonderful...

natasha {schue love} said...

I've been meaning to tell you that my husband I made this for a dinner party last weekend and it was a HUGE hit! I think we're going to make it again Monday night for the Bachelor finale!! I will def. post about it I do! :)

Chris Chang said...

Hi Laura!

This looks freaking amazing! I am making creme brulee for the first time tonight and have been looking for recipes and I am definitely going to use yours!

Just wondering, how do you think it would turn out if I used blueberries instead of blackberries? haha well, either way, I'll see how it goes!

Can't wait!

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