Desserts,Recipes,The Ultimate Pastry Guide
April 23, 2019
Crème Brulee is one of those desserts that looks exceedingly difficult and unapproachably elegant, when in actuality, it’s incredibly easy (and quick) to make. Plus, it’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious and has that trademark, appealing caramel crunch on top (it’s like candy for adults!). Creme brulee is also incredibly light in texture, so be warned: you may end up eating three of them at a time (NOT speaking from personal experience…ahem…).
This recipe deviates a bit from the traditional vanilla-bean-infused dessert you’ll often find at restaurants; I add some orange zest and Grand Marnier to provide some notes to counteract the general sweetness of the dessert. What results is a creamy, orange-scented vanilla pudding that’s even more refined and delectable than the original.
To make it (like many French pastries), you will need some proper equipment; mainly, you’ll need some ramekins. I use 8-ounce round ceramic ramekins, since they’re generally pretty versatile for many ramekin-based desserts. However, feel free to get whatever shape or size you would like. I would just recommend getting personal-sized (rather than one large size) ramekins for crème brulee, as it’s often served in personal portions rather than family-style.
Plus, crème brulee is a great dessert to prepare ahead of time for a special occasion or dinner party, since the most involved part of the process needs to be done a few hours ahead of eating (at least) anyways. You could easily make the crème brulee 2-3 days before serving and just “brulee” the pudding when you’re ready to serve (I would not recommend doing the caramelization part earlier, as it will get soggy and lose it’s crunch).
This orange crème brulee is as impressive as it is delicious. You don’t even need any potentially dangerous equipment, like a blow torch. My secret? An oven with a broiler (ovens are truly one of the most amazing inventions to have ever graced this Earth…I think we need a holiday just to celebrate ovens…I am officially an oven worshiper now…). Just pop in the crème brulee for about a minute under the broiler and it comes out caramelized without the need for a blow torch!
So, without further ado, here is this amazing recipe for orange crème brulee:
Easy, Elegant Orange Creme Brulee (NO Blow Torch Required!)
This fruity spin on the classic French vanilla pudding dessert is even more refined and delicious than the original. With fresh orange zest and Grand Marnier, this creme brulee has a delightful, orange-scented flavor that mitagates any excessive sweetness. The pudding is ethereally light and creamy, and can even be made up to three days ahead of time (easy prep work rocks, am I right?). So for your next special occasion, party, or just Wednesday night (hump day can be tough…), make some mouth-watering creme brulee for an impressive finish to your meal.
This recipe was adapted from NYT.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Rest in Fridge 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- zest of two oranges
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract You can also use the scrapings of one vanilla bean.
- 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a medium pot, combine heavy cream, orange zest, and salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Beat together with a whisk or electric mixer until light and slightly fluffy, around 3-5 minutes.
Heat the heavy cream mixture on medium-low heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and pour half the mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously during this process. Pour the egg-heavy cream mixture back into the cream in the pot and stir together (off the heat).
Add vanilla extract and Grand Marnier.
Pour into six ramekins, leaving a little room at the top.
On a roasting pan (I find that a brownie pan works great for this), place the ramekins, leaving at least 1-2 inches between each one.
Boil some water and pour into the pan (making sure to avoid pouring it into the ramekins), until the water reaches about halfway-up the ramekins.
Carefully, place the roasting pan with ramekins into the oven and bake for around 30-35 minutes, until just set.
NOTE: A good way to test the doneness of crème brulee is to give the ramekin a slight jiggle-when crème brulee is ready, it will jiggle a bit in the center but not look liquidy.
Let cool slightly before removing the ramekins. Place the crème brulee in the fridge to cool completely, about 2-3 hours, before topping with sugar and bruleeing.
TIP: This step can be elongated to whenever you wish to serve the puddings; creme brulee will keep at this stage for at least 3 days in the fridge. Just top with sugar and brulee right before serving!
When ready to serve, place about 1-2 tsp. of granulated sugar on the tops of the creme brulee (spreading it across evenly) and place under an oven broiler for around one minute (it’s easier if you first place the ramekins on a cookie sheet). Make sure to watch this part closely, as the sugar can caramelize very quickly. Pull the puddings out when the color reaches your preference; a golden-amber color is a good one to aim for.
Let sit for 1-2 minutes before eating, so the caramel can harden. Enjoy!
Notes
Crème Brulee can easily be made ahead at least 3 days ahead of time. Just make sure to leave the brulee part for right before serving, as the caramel crust will become soggy if it sits.
Although this recipe features orange flavor, feel free to experiment with whatever add-ins you’d like. Fruit zest, instant coffee, tea, flavoring oils, and extracts could all be delicious ways to enhance the traditional crème brulee 🙂
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For more tips on French desserts and pastries, check out my French Pastry Guide.
A perfect recipe to pair with this crème brulee is my orange-glazed pistachio shortbread cookies. You’ll have the tastiest dessert night ever!
Happy Baking, everyone!
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