Posted by: Sue Freeman 08-17-99 7:32 PM
Crème Brulee
Source: Doug Cooper Cooking Instructor
1 quart heavy cream (can use half and half)
10 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
6 oz. light brown sugar
Zest of one orange
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat heavy cream and vanilla bean (without splitting at this time) until cream is scalded.
This is when foam surrounds side of pan and just starts to turn to a soft boil.
Be careful not to scorch cream.
While cream is heating; combine egg yolks, sugar.
Do not beat them until they foamy.
You want a smooth custard and not one that has air holes in it.
Remove Vanilla Bean from milk and set aside.
Gradually add hot cream to egg mixture while stirring constantly.
Do this slowly so you don't scramble eggs.
After all this is incorporated; set aside.
Carefully cut vanilla bean in half down middle.
Holding one end of bean scrape inside of bean with tip of a knife to get seeds.
Add this to mixture and stir well.
Skim off any foam that forms on top and pour into 12 ramekins.
Place these cups in a large baking pan and fill pan half way up sides with water and put in oven.
Bake for 30 minutes and it is set and no longer jiggles.
Remove from oven and reduce oven to 300.
Set Brulees aside to cool.
Place brown sugar in a shallow baking pan.
Bake at 300 for 20 minutes to dry out.
Take out of oven and let cool.
Use a rolling pin to break up baked brown sugar.
Sprinkle brown sugar on tops of Brulee and put under broiler to caramelize.
About 5 minutes.