Lavender Creme Brulee

my grandmother used to love everything lavender so this reminds me of her. maybe less for her love of it, and more because of all the soaps i inherited when she decided she was allergic. Eeep.
i am trusting jamie oliver & hoping this creme brulee doesn't taste like soap.... ;)

FROM JAMIE OLIVER (JamieOliver.com)

(makes 4 servings)

2 vanilla pods

300ml double cream

200ml whole milk

8 large free-range or organic egg yolks

75g sugar

a bunch of lavender, flowers picked

4tbsp caster sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/gas

2) Score the vanilla pods lengthways & scrape out the vanilla seeds w/a knife or a teaspoon.

3) Place the seeds into a saucepan, add the pods, cream & milk & slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.

4) Meanwhile, get yourself a large bowl that will fit over your pan & beat together the egg yolks & sugar until light & fluffy.

5) Remove the vanilla pods from the pan &, little by little, add the milk & cream to the egg mixture in the bowl, whisking continuously.

6) Add 2.5cm of hot water to your dirty pan, bring to a simmer & put the bowl on top of the pan.

7) Cook the mixture for 5min over the simmering water, stirring often, until it thickens & coats the back of a spoon.

8) Stir in a small handful of lavender flowers, but the trick is to be delicate – you only need a hint of its distinctive, strong flavour.

9) Remove any bubbles or froth from the mixture before dividing it between your ramekins.

10) Stand these in a high-sided roasting tray, & fill the tray w/water halfway up the ramekins.

11) Place carefully in the preheated oven & cook for around 30-45min or until the mixture has set but is still slightly wobbly in the centre.

12) Allow to cool at room temperature then place in the fridge until ready.

TO SERVE:

13) sprinkle each crème brûlée with a tablespoon of caster sugar & some more of the lavender flowers & caramelize under a very hot grill or using the chef’s torch.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/dessert-recipes/lavender-creme-brulee

White Chocolate Créme Brulee

i just thought this recipe, and the chocolate souffle one had the cutest little pictures. & well, looked seriously delicious.

FROM CITRUS & CANDY (citrusandcandy.com)
(makes 6)

1 1/2 cups milk
1cup thin cream
6 egg yolks at room temperature
1/4cup caster sugar
200g good quality white chocolate, broken into small pieces
1tsp vanilla extract
6 x ramekins (125ml capacity / 8cm diameter)
About 6tsps caster sugar
Directions:

1) Heat the milk & cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until scalding point (when you see steam rising from the surface) but *do not boil*. Remove from heat.
2) While that's off the heat whisk the egg yolks & sugar together in a large bowl with a balloon whisk.

3) Add the warm milk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until combined.
4) Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat & stir with a wooden spoon for about 9min or until custard thickens & coats the back of the spoon.
5) Remove from heat & add the white chocolate & vanilla extract & stir until it's all melted & mixed.Set aside to cool for 5min.

6)Ladle the custard into the ramekins. Place them in a baking tray and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight. The custard will thicken and form a skin on the surface.

TO SERVE:

7) Place about a tsp of caster sugar over the entire surface of each ramekin & blowtorch the sugar. Enjoy the show as it bubbles, melts and darkens in colour before finally hardening into a hard toffee.

http://citrusandcandy.com/2008/10/white-chocolate-crme-brulee_26.html

White Chocolate-Cranberry Crème Brûlée

FROM SOUTHERN LIVING (southernliving.com)

(makes 6 servings)

CREME BRULEE:

2cups whipping cream
4oz white chocolate
1tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1/2cup sugar, divided
1/2(15-oz.) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Ice cubes
GARNISH:

1/4cup corn syrup
1/4cup dried cranberries
1 bunch fresh mint sprigs
1/4cup sugar

Directions:

FOR THE CREME BRULEE:

1. Set oven to 300°F
2. Combine 1/2cup cream and white chocolate in a heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 2-3min or until chocolate is melted.

3. Remove from heat, & stir in vanilla and remaining 1 1/2cups cream.
4. Whisk together egg yolks & 1/4cup sugar until sugar is dissolved & mixture is thick & pale yellow.

5. Add cream mixture, whisking until well blended. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl.
6. Spoon 1 1/2tbsp. cranberry sauce into each of 6(4-oz.) ramekins. Pour cream-and-egg mixture evenly into ramekins; place ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add water to pan to depth of 1/2 inch.
7. Bake for 45-55min or until edges are set. Cool custards in pan on a wire rack 25min. Remove ramekins from water bath; cover & chill 8hrs.
8. Sprinkle 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. remaining sugar evenly over each ramekin. Fill a large roasting pan or 15- x 10- x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with ice; arrange ramekins in pan.
9. Broil 5 inches from heat 3-5min or until sugar is melted and caramelized. Let stand 5min. Garnish, if desired.

FOR THE GARNISH:

1. Using a clean paintbrush, gent­ly brush 1/4cup corn syrup onto the top side of dried cranberries & mint sprigs.
2. Sprinkle sugar over cranberries & mint. Let stand 5min; sprinkle remaining sugar over cranberries & mint, gently shaking off excess.

*NOTES:
WHITE CHOCOLATE BANANA CREME BRULEE:1. Prepare recipe as directed through 2. Slice 2 bananas into 1/4-inch-thick slices; toss bananas with 1/3cup sugar. 3. Melt 2tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bananas, and cook 1-2min on each side or until lightly browned. 4. Line bottoms of 6(4-oz.) ramekins evenly with banana slices. Pour cream mixture evenly into ramekins; place ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add water to pan to depth of 1/2inch. Proceed w/recipe as directed.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1673180

Vanilla Creme Brulee

FROM THE STONE SOUP (thestonesoup.com/blog)

(serves 8)

8 egg yolks

600mL thickened cream

100mL milk

100g sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

castor sugar, extra

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 100C.

2. Whisk yolks & sugar in a bowl until pale then whisk in cream and scraped vanilla seeds. Pass through a sieve and then divide between 8 silicone muffin moulds or ramekins.
3. Bake brulees for 1hr 15mins or until still wobbly in the middle but slightly thickened. Remove from the oven & allow to cool.

4. Cover & place in the freezer for at least 6hrs.
5. Half an hour before you’re ready to serve, remove brulee from moulds and place each on a serving plate. Sit in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
TO SERVE:
6. Sprinkle the top of each brulee with an even layer of castor sugar. Brown with a blowtorch until sugar is melted and browned in places.

7. Allow to cool slightly before topping with more sugar & continuing to brulee until the desired colour is achieved. Serve immediately.

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2006/12/birthday-brulee/

Creme Brulee Cheesecake

FROM BAKING FOR JOHN (bakingforjohn.blogspot.com)
1cup walnut, pieces
1/2cup pecan, pieces
¼cup sugar
4tbsp unsalted butter, melted
24oz cream cheese
2/3cup + 2tbsp +1/4cup granulated sugar
3tbsp sour cream
1 1/2tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1cup heavy cream
2tbsp of vanilla (or 1 vanilla bean)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2.Pulse nuts & sugar in food processor until ground, add melted butter and pulse till consistency of moist sand.
3. Press in bottom of springform pan and bake 12 min (until golden).
4. Reduce oven to 325F & position rack in center of oven.
5. Blend cream cheese, 2/3cup granulated sugar, sour cream & vanilla well in the bowl of a stand mixer.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
7. In the meantime, heat heavy cream on medium low heat in a small saucepan, add 2tbsps of sugar. slit open a real vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds & heat it with the cream (or add 2tsp of vanilla).
8. Heat until bubbles start to form on the sides of the pan, but do not let the cream scald. Let sit to cool slightly & then add to bowl while mixer is on low. (If you've used the bean, strain the cream into the cheese mixture)
9. Boil a pot of water (for use in step 11)
10..Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly. Line the outside of the pan with aluminum foil, shiny side out. ( Use two sheets, going opposite directions to make sure no water can get into the cake and sog the crust)
11. Place the cheesecake in a medium roasting pan & add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the spring form pan.
12. Bake until the filling is just set in the center, about 1 hour.
13. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove the foil, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
TO SERVE:
14. remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan & sprinkle about 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the cheesecake.
15. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar according to the caramelizing sugar instructions until evenly melted and golden. (if no torch, can place the cheesecake directly under the broiler and watch for the sugar to melt and carmelize)

http://bakingforjohn.blogspot.com/2008/04/creme-brulee-cheeseckake.html

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

FROM GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES (gluten-free-desserts.com)
2Cups Heavy Cream
¼Cup Sugar (additional sugar will be needed for top of Crème Brulee- if you plan to carmelize the top layer)
¼Cup Brown Sugar
8 Large Egg Yolks
1 Cup Canned 100% Pure Pumpkin
½tsp Vanilla
½tsp Cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F
2.In saucepan, combine cream & sugars. Cook on stovetop until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside for later use.
3. Using mixer with whisk attachment, whisk eggs on high for 2 mins (will be lemon colored).
4. While the mixer is running on low speed, add ¼ of the cream mixture. Slowly keep adding the cream mixture in small batches until all of the cream mixture has been added to the eggs (do not add all of the cream mixture to the eggs at once).
5. Add the remaining ingredients, mix.
6. Place 8 custard cups (or ramekins) in a large metal baking pan. Pour ½ cup of the pumpkin Creme Brulee into each custard cup.
7. Add hot water to the metal baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups. Place in oven and cook for 50-55 mins (or until Crème Brûlée is set).
8. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator and place ½ to 1 tsp sugar evenly on top of each Crème Brulee. To caramelize the sugar, either use a kitchen torch or broil in oven.

**NOTE: CARMELIZING OF SUGAR/TOP
The broil/oven method can cause Crème Brulee to become warm or if not watched carefully, sugar can burn. If Crème Brulee becomes warm, simply put back in refrigerate to chill.
The caramelized sugar is very hot; allow to cool at least 5 mins before serving.

http://gluten-free-desserts.com/recipes.aspx?ID=51&Gluten-Free-Recipe=Gluten-Free%20Pumpkin%20Crème%20Brulée