Testing 2 new versions of creme brulee. 1 without the bain marie, and both without tempering the yolks.

Also – new recipe to test
1 yolks
1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup hwc (you can 50-50 10% cream or whole milk, or just eat stale rice cakes)
1/3 scraped vanilla bean or 1/3 tsp vanilla extract
Makes 1 yolk per serving. Approx 450 calories per serving.

So for normal people
4 servings:
4 egg yolks,
4×20=80ml = 1/3 cup sugar,
1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract per 3 servings.

Each ramekin will get around 1 tbsp sugar for the caramel top.
and the total volume is 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) per serving

In a perfectly clean pan on low heat,
add cream, stir in scraped vanilla and the bean.
As soon as it comes to a boil, turn the heat off, remove from heat, let cool 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven, get a kettle of water going

In the meantime, stir yolks and sugar together. do not whisk – stir
We do not want this to get pale (which means aerated).
Slowly add 1/3 the warm milk (through a strainer), slowly STIR – no whisking, and we are NOT tempering, and we are NOT aerating – no foam.
Once you can’t feel the grit of any sugar, slowly add the rest of the liquid, and stir well.
Have I mentioned no bubbles, no foam, no aeration?
Yeah – none of that.

Everything gets poured through a fine mesh strainer in every step of the way.

Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a decanter so it’s easier to pour into your ramekins. If you want to sell that this is made with real vanilla, you can save some of the seeds and add some to the decanter (aka jug).

Pour through a fine strainer (yes again), to about 1″ tops. Low-profile ramekins are ideal, but use what you have.

Bake for 45 mins (1 hour for larger ramekins) at exactly 100C/212F
OR at 300F in a bain marie, and use boiling water to get halfway up the sides before pouring the creme.

Regardless of bain marie, I like a silicone mat just to avoid the risk of overcooking the bottom. You can use 4 layers of parchment paper.

The creme is done baking when the outside is set (just a little jiggle in the middle, kinda like me).

Let cool to room temp, 30-90 minutes depending on your room, and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours. If you used a bain marie, use a spatula to move the ramekins onto a towel while they cool.
I like to cover mine in clingwrap, especially if chilling overnight, just to avoid any unwanted flavours. Either way, gently blot any moisture from the top of the creme before moving to the sugar torching.
2 tsp per rammekin should be good, slow circular motion, slowly heat up, melt, then caramelize the sugar. You want all this to happen around the same time, and medium-dark brown is where you want to stop. Black is bad because it’ll taste burnt.

Pro tip #1- mist the sugar with some water to make it more level, or you can add 1 tsp of your favourite flammable booze to add a special something to it .. I wish there was a fancy French term for that something unknown …
Pro tip #2 – your torch has a very blue flame, a fainter blue flame, and then the flame becomes mostly transparent – that’s the part we want to have on the sugar.
Pro tip #3 – you can broil the ramekins instead of using a torch
Pro tip #4 – you can make caramel in a pan, and pour a very thin layer on top of each ramekin if you’re completely uncomfortable with using gadgets, or a broiler.

Finally – if we’re not tempering the eggs, why the heck do we boil the cream & milk?
To kill any enzymes that prevent the custard from setting, and warm liquids will prevent the sugar from clumping.

OG recipe

Creme Brulee (+ Keto)

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp sugar See #1 below for keto
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 scraped vanilla bean
1 pinch salt
4 tbsp turbinado sugar, "sugar in the raw", or just regular white sugar. See #1 below for keto

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300F.
Cream yolks, sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy.
Pour cream into saucepan on low heat, bring to just steaming (not boiling).
Slowly pour cream into eggs while beating.
Return mixture to clean saucepan (or use a double boiler with simmering water) until it coats the back of a spoon, approx 3 minutes,
Immediately pour into shallow ramekins, or heat-proof dish.
Place ramekins into a flat baking pan, and pour boiling water halfway up the side.
Bake for 30 minutes or until set (slight jiggle).
Remove from oven, remove from water bath, and let cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate minimum 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp turbinado in an even layer over each ramekin, and torch (or carefully broil).
Optional - garnish with sprig of mint, a few berries.

Notes

Allulose works just like regular sugar. Erythritol does work in the custard, but I do not recommend torching it because it has a high melting point. It's easier to melt and caramelize erythritol in a heavy-bottomed pan. Preheat the pan on medium heat, sprinkle the erythritol evenly, and gently stir with a heat-resistant spatula until caramelized. Carefully pour that over the custard in each ramekin.

Keto version :
264 calories, 26.7g fat, 3.9g protein, 2.4g carbs

Regular version:
354 calories, 26.7g fat, 3.9g protein, 26.4g carbs

These numbers don't include the garnish.

If you're using a vanilla bean, keep the pod in the saucepan to infuse more flavour - don't mix it into the custard!