Wednesday 15 February 2012

My little Valentine's Treat... Creme Brulee

Ah, Valentine's Day - that well-known fake holiday designed only for the gratification of greetings cards companies and those with something to prove in packed-out overpriced restaurants.

As if I or Mr P would fall into that trap!

When I returned home on Tuesday, this is what awaited me:

The romantic, personal touch and no unnecessary consumerism.


 Super romantic, huh?



But that's not all. I'll let you into a little secret...


...my favourite dessert of all time is creme brulee. The mellow, creamy vanilla custard, and the lovely, crisp, brittle shell - perfection!

Mr P knows how I feel about this scrumptious dessert, so as well as preparing the gruesome card...



Mr P's Creme Brulee

Ingredients:
420ml double cream
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
70g golden caster sugar
plus caster sugar for the topping

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees celcius. Slice the vanilla pod down the middle, scrape the seeds out into a pan, roughly chop the pod and add that.

2. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.

3. Sieve the caster sugar into a heatproof bowl, whisk in the yolks until you achieve a pale and creamy mix.

4. Return the cream to the boil, and then gradually pour it into the egg mix, whisking as you go. Carry on mixing until the mixture firms a little - indicating that the egg is beginning to cook.

5. Sieve the mixture into a pouring jug, then pour into ramekins filling to about 3/4 of their height.

6. Place the ramekins in a deep baking tray, with hot water poured in up to halfway up the ramekins.

7. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes: the custard should have just a little wobble in the middle.

8. Once cooked, allow to cool (refrigerate if desired). Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the top of each creme brulee, and caremalise with a blow torch. Apparently, in the absence of a blow torch, you can do this under a hot grill - though I've never managed this successfully as it just tend to heats up my custard.

9.   Serve up to your very impressed other half, blagging a spot on the blog in the process. 

1 comment:

  1. What is it that love motivates us to do, but burn our hands with a blow torch xxx

    ReplyDelete