A Restaurant Dessert That Doesn’t Have to Be: Creme Brulee

Years ago, Creme Brulee was always one of those “restaurant desserts” for me.  Any time we’d go to a restaurant that had it on the menu, I’d order it.  I loved it, but no way was I ever going to make it at home.  The recipes were always too long and complicated and I didn’t want to buy the blowtorch for giving the tops that burnt sugar crust that the dessert is so well known for.

But then that all changed … with this recipe.  It literally takes 10 minutes, tops, to make and get into the oven, and no blowtorch required.  I love that a “restaurant dessert” can now be made at home anytime.  The only thing to watch out for with this recipe is when you introduce the hot heavy cream to the egg yolk mixture.  You need to do it nice and slow otherwise you’ll end up with Creme Brulee that tastes of scrambled eggs.  Trust me.

Recently, when The Neighbor Girlfriend‘s Kindergarten class had to write what they are thankful for, she wrote “Miss Cate’s Creme Brulee.”  I love that … both that she loves it so much and that the five-year-old set not only knows what Creme Brulee is, but they request it.  Too funny.  And, of course, that’s all I had to hear before I set to making a batch for the kids when they had a sleepover this weekend.

If you want to change up the recipe a bit, put a piece of chocolate at the bottom of each ramekin before ladling in the cream mixture.  You and your guests (because this obviously isn’t an everyday dessert) will have a nice surprise at the end.

Enjoy!

Hungry for more restaurant desserts at home?
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Creme Brulee

7 egg yolks
7 tablespoons sugar
3-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
extra sugar for sprinkling the tops

Heat cream and vanilla until very hot. Beat eggs with sugar until light and creamy. SLOWLY add hot cream to egg mixture and stir well. Evenly divide mixture into ramekins. Place cups in a 13×9 baking pan filled halfway up with water. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then refrigerate. When serving, pull them out of the refrigerator about a half-hour before serving, and then immediately before serving, sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar on top of each cup and broil until golden brown and crunchy.

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