Burnt Cream (Crème Brulee)

Brunt cream, aka Crème Brulee. This dish has always intrigued me, as a chef I always called this dish Burnt Cream on menus. I was once told that the French and the Scots have argued the origins of this dish for centuries but Cambridge University might have an even stronger clam than the French or the Scots. One things for sure this dish has been very popular in Scotland for century’s, I have included two methods for this, one is cooked in the pan the whole way and the other is oven baked. 

Ingredients

565ml / 1 Pint Double cream/ heavy cream

100g / 3 ½ oz Caster sugar/ super fine 

½ Orange peel 

Pinch Cinnamon 

1 Vanilla extract

6 Egg yolks

Method #1

1. Pre heat oven to 150°C / 300˚F.
2. Place the cream, vanilla extract. Orange peel and a pinch of cinnamon into a thick bottomed pot and slowly heat up.  
3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until the yolks lighten.
4. Remove the orange peel from the cream.
5. Add the half the warm cream to the egg yolk mix then pour this mixture into the rest of the cream.   
6. Place in ramekins/ dishes into a shallow tray. 
7. Carefully fill the tray with water.
8. Place the tray into the oven for 30-40 minutes until they have set, they should have a little wobble but once cooled completely they will set. 
9. Once cool place into the fridge until needed.
10. To create the crunchy caramel topping, sprinkle a thin layer of castor sugar on top of the set cream you have a couple of options on how to melt, I use a blow torch, you can also use a brulee iron if you have one or under a very hot grill/broiler. 

Method #2

1. Place the cream, vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon into a thick bottomed pot and slowly heat up.  
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until the yolks lighten.
3. Remove the orange peel. 
4. As the cream comes to the boil add the half the boiling cream to the egg yolk mix then pour this mixture into the rest of the cream and put back onto the stove.
5. You now have to be very careful, keep stirring the mix until it starts to thicken. You will notice it start to thicken it should resemble thin custard. 
6. Once it coats the back of the spoon pour the mixture into a large jug or bowl. This instantly stops the cooking.
7. Pour this mixture into your ramekins/dish, once cool place into the fridge to set.
8. To glaze see step 10 above.