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July 21 - National Creme Brulee Day

Chef Smith
Chef Smith July 17, 2012

The earliest known reference of creme brulee as we know it today appears in François Massialot's 1691 cookbook, and the French name was used in the English translation of this book, but the 1731 edition of Massialot's Cuisinier roial et bourgeois changed the name of the same recipe from "crème brûlée" to "crème anglaise". In the early eighteenth century, the dessert was called "burnt cream" in English.

The exact origins of creme brulee are unclear because there are similar custard and caramel dishes in several cultures. However this dessert is unique that it contains a hard, caramelized layer of sugar over the custard base. The custard base is most commonly a vanilla flavor, but has evolved to be everything from chocolate to pumpkin. The caramelized sugar topping is made by coating the custard with a sugar layer and using a blow torch or broiler to cook the sugar to liquid state, then it hardens as it cools.

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Chef Smith
Chef Smith July 17, 2012 22:01
Re: July 21 - National Creme Brulee Day

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.


Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.


In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.


Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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