Blood Orange Crème Brûlée

Blood Orange Crème Brûlée: Rich and creamy vanilla custard meets a brittle caramelized topping in this seductive and foolproof classic French dessert with a fresh hint of blood orange.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 552kcal

Author Elena Szeliga

Ingredients

200 ml or 3/4 cup or 3/4 cup heavy cream
50 ml or 1or 1/4 cup /4 cup milk
1/2 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
50 grams or 1/4 cup brown sugar + 4-5 tablespoons for the topping
30 ml or 3 tablespoons blood orange juice
1 teaspoonor 3 tablespoons grated blood orange zest
some more zest to garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150 °C or 300 °F. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and use a knife to scrape the seeds out. In a pot, combine vanilla seeds and pulp, heavy cream and milk.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until it thickens. Discard the vanilla pulp.
Meanwhile, combine egg yolks with sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually pour the cream mixture in it, whisking constantly. Add blood orange juice and grated zest and mix well.
Carefully pour the mixture into 4 ramekins. Place them in a large baking form. Pour hot water into the baking form until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking form in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Let them cool on a wire rack.
Right before serving sprinkle the custard with 1 tablespoon brown sugar per portion and use one of the 5 methods described below to caramelize the sugar (see notes). Garnish with blood orange zest. Enjoy!

Notes

To caramelize the sugar use one of the 5 methods described below:

1. Crème brûlée torch is a classic method of caramelizing the topping. It can be used for other things like caramelizing meringue and marshmallows, crisping meat, charring vegetables, skinning tomatoes and melting cheese on gratins.

2. Blow torch works well for crème brûlée and can be used for lighting the grill, gardening or fixing copper pipes.

3. Broiler/Grill can be a good option, too. You have to let your crème brûlée cool completely before using it. Set it on very hot and put your crème brûlée underneath for a couple of minutes until the crust is golden brown.

4. Oven can be used if you make your crème brûlée ahead. Take a piece of parchment paper and turn an empty ramekin over. Use a pencil to circle it around. Repeat as many times as you need. Spray your circles with a non-stick cooking spray. Then sprinkle a rather thick layer of brown sugar in your circles, trying not to go beyond the shape. Broil them in the top shelf of the hot oven for some minutes, until golden brown. I recommend you to use this method if you prepare your crème brûlée one or two days ahead because this way the sugar doesn't get soggy, as it doesn't touch the moist custard surface. The crust should be put on the crème brûlée directly before serving. Also, you can make different shapes (using cookie cutters is a good idea, too!) and use them for the variety of desserts.

5. Using a mixture of alcohol and sugar is a spectacular way to serve your crème brûlée. Sprinkle the custard with brown sugar and pour a bit of hard liquor of your choice. It can be vodka, gin, rum, brandy or whisky. One tablespoon will be more than enough. Use a normal lighter or matches to burn it and enjoy the show :)

Nutrition