We are so close. So so so so so close. One more week. And really, by Thursday, I’ll be free. I won’t have any more tests to prepare for, I will simply be free. Midterms? Over. Unit tests? Out of mind. I can finally turn my focus to the other parts of my life.
My plans for Thursday afternoon are as follows.
1) Bake cookies
2)Decorate my Christmas tree
3) Wrap some presents while watching a movie
In other news, I wrapped up my Christmas recipes this weekend! I still have to test my New Years one but I’m gonna do that the first few days of break. Then I’ll probably do some holiday cookie boxes, make a cake for Christmas Day, and the second half of break will be testing January recipes.
It feels depressing to be thinking about January right now but what can you do. I always try to be ahead in most things that I do, and I think that’s part of why this time of year is so stressful. I don’t have time to get ahead, which makes me feel like I’m behind, when I’m really just on time. It’s all very overwhelming, but cozy creme brûlée helps.
To point out the obvious, I did already make a gingerbread caramel latte flavored thing this month. I don’t like to repeat flavor combos so close together, but I will occasionally when they’re both really good recipes. And yes I would say they are both really good recipes. The cookies from earlier this month were extremely popular among those who tried them, so go check those out if you haven’t already.
Describe this Crème Brûlée to Me
Taste: This fancy little French dessert tastes like an iced gingerbread latte. The rich flavor of the custard is perfectly complemented by the bitter espresso and deep molasses notes. The spices bring out the cozy flavors, and the bittersweet notes from the burnt sugar.
Texture: The custard itself is unbelievably creamy and smooth, and each bite melts in your mouth. The sugar on top adds a layer of crunch, and the heat from it melts the top layer of the custard to give you this unique mixture of different textures and flavors.
Ease: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, creme brûlée isn’t actually that difficult. And I’m not saying that to throw shade, I’m just trying to get the point across that just because it looks somewhat impressive and has a fancy name doesn’t mean that it’s actually that difficult. All you have to do is throw together a quick cream and egg yolk based custard (more on that in a bit) and cook it in a water bath for a little while. Let those chill for a while and then it’s time to brûlée!
The Custard
A creme brûlée is really just a custard that’s tempered on the stove, cooked just enough in the oven, chilled, and topped with caramelized sugar. When I say tempered on the stove, I mean heating cream with some flavorings on the stove and whisking that into some egg yolks. This just barely starts to cook the eggs and then we immediately pour the mixture into some ramekins.
The Flavors
In addition to the rich and creamy custard, there are a few main flavors involved here. Molasses and spices ensure a cozy flavor just like gingerbread, and espresso mixed with sweet vanilla bean adds that festive latte flavor. All of this is wrapped up under the complex flavor of the caramelized sugar.
The Water Bath
This is the key to a good creme brûlée, and I think people tend to be a little intimidated by it. But a water bath is imperative in making sure your custards have the right smooth and creamy texture. Cooking the custards makes the eggs absolutely safe to eat, while the water bath allows them to maintain that creamy texture.
Gingerbread Latte Creme Brûlée
Ingredients
Method
- In a large heat proof bowl (or a large liquid measuring cup) whisk together the egg yolks and ½ cup of the granulated sugar until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Place 6 ramekins in a large baking dish. The baking dish should be deep enough to hold about 2 inches of water. We will bake these in a water bath so begin bringing a large pot of water to a boil (I use a tea kettle)
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the cream, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, espresso powder, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, remove from the heat.
- Immediately take out roughly ½ cup of the hot cream and slowly and steadily stream it into the egg yolks and sugar, whisking constantly. Then, slowly and steadily stream that mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warm cream, whisking to combine. Stir in the vanilla. Run the mixture through a sieve to remove any clumps.
- Divide the mixture between the 6 round ramekins in the baking dish. Pour the hot water from step #2 into the baking dish, being careful not to spill any in the custards. You will want an even layer of water, about 1 ½ inches deep.
- Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 170°F when inserted into the middle of one of the custards. Oven times vary, so I recommend checking at the 30 minute mark. The sides will have set a little, but the center will still be jiggly. The tops will have developed a thin layer on top, and might have bubbles.
- Using gloves or a towl, carefully move the custards from the water bath and place on a wire cooling rack to cool for 1 hour. Then, chill the custards for 4 hours in the refrigerator loosely covered with cling wrap.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar in an even layer on top of each of the custards. Use your kitchen torch to evenly toast the sugared tops of the creme brûlée. The sugar will turn golden and melt into a smooth and even layer, which will almost instantly harden. To ensure the sugar doesn’t burn, angle the torch slightly so that it isn’t hitting a small area with a full blast of heat. Be very careful doing this step to make sure nothing burns.
- Serve immediately. The un-torched custard will last up to three days in the fridge.
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