Crème brûlée is one of those desserts that are always impressive – and so much easier than they seem! This foolproof recipe adds a herby twist to a delicious classic.
Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks
60g sugar
560mls double cream
113g St Kitts Herbery white cardamom chocolate
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp sugar to top
Method:
. Preheat the oven to gas mark 2
. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until creamy and smooth.
. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the white chocolate, turn off the heat and whisk until the chocolate is melted.
. Add 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking continually to prevent the eggs from scrambling. This is the most important step to get right or you’ll have a lumpy, egg-y pudding!
. Add the remaining white chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until smooth.
. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
. Pour into four 6-inch ramekins or custard cups. Place the cups in a baking pan. Add enough hot water so the cups sit in 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water.
. Bake for about 45 minutes, until set. If you lightly shake the pan, the crème brulee should wobble with a jelly like consistency.
. Once cool, refrigerate the custards until chilled – for best results leave overnight.
. Before serving, sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of sugar. If you can get your hands on a kitchen blowtorch, use this to caramelize the top until golden brown. (If you don’t have a blowtorch then under the grill should work for this). If you’re new to using a blow torch, don’t worry! Just check out this handy guide!
. Refrigerate for 5 minutes before serving.
- Delicious!
The cardamom chocolate in this recipe gives this dessert a rich, creamy taste without being too heavy. If you’re short on time, it can be easily adapted into a cold custard recipe!
The tender, young leaves are great in salads, while the more mature leaves can be used as you would ‘ordinary’ spinach- we love them lightly steamed and finished with butter and a twist of pepper.
