Bourbon Brûlé Recipes

BOURBON VANILLA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Add egg yolks to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until eggs are thick and light yellow, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla bean paste.
• Pour cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and simmer until just hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Pour half of the warmed cream into the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly so eggs do not curdle.
• Pour egg yolk-cream mixture into the remaining cream in the double boiler.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let mixture boil.
• Pour custard into 4 small ramekins and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
• Sprinkle each crème brûlée with some of the remaining tablespoon of superfine sugar.
• Use a blowtorch to melt the sugar on top of the crème brûlée. It will crystallize as it hardens. Alternatively you can use the oven broiler, but be careful to not burn the sugar.
• Lightly tap the crystallized sugar with the back of a spoon to break it before eating.

BOURBON-SWEET POTATO BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, and then bake on a shallow baking pan until soft, about 1 hour (no need to wrap in foil). Remove the potatoes to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• While the potatoes are cooling, whisk together the cream, brown sugar, bourbon, salt, and nutmeg. (You could also add cinnamon, though it may suggest pumpkin pie flavors and will over shadow the smoky bourbon flavor.)
• Peel the potatoes, and then cut into 2-inch pieces and mash until very smooth. Add the mashed potatoes to the cream mixture and whisk well to thoroughly combine.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart flameproof baking dish and bake 40 to 45 minutes. The custard will be firm but not dry looking when done.
• When ready to serve, evenly sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top. Position the blowtorch flame just above the sugar and move the flame back and forth in rows until the entire top is slightly burnt. Let stand until the sugar hardens, about 4 to 5 minutes, and then serve. (No blowtorch? Run the dish under the broiler, 4 inches from the flame, about 5 to 8 minutes.)

BOURBON PECAN CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350.
• Heat the cream to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
• Meanwhile fork together the egg yolks and sugar, taking care not to incorporate any air into the mix.
• When cream is hot, remove from heat and add vanilla and bourbon.
• Slowly pour cream into eggs, mixing with fork, being careful not to incorporate any air into the mix. You have to pour slowly, otherwise the hot cream will cook the egg.
• Divide custard between 6 ramekins and place in a baking dish. Add water to the baking dish so that it comes up the sides of the ramekins to the level of the custard inside. Take care not to splash any water into the ramekins.
• Carefully place baking dish in the oven (don't splash water into the ramekins) and bake about half an hour. Custard is done when it is set but still jiggly.
• Remove from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least a couple hours, and up to 2 days.
• When ready to serve, cover each custard with about 2 tsp of brown sugar and caramelize with a torch (or you can use the broiler in your oven, but be careful, the line between caramelized and burned is a fine line). Top with toasted pecans.

BOURBON BRûLé

Steps:

• Slice the orange in half horizontally. Cut a thin slice (no more than 1/8 inch) from each half. Coat one side of each slice with the sugar. Heat a small, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, on high. Place the orange slices, sugar-side down, in the skillet and sear for a couple of minutes, until lightly caramelized. Remove from pan and let cool, browned side up. Juice the rest of the orange; you should have about 1/4 cup.
• Combine bourbon, sherry, ginger liqueur and orange juice in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Stir briefly to chill. Strain over ice into two rocks glasses. Place an orange slice, caramelized side up, directly in each glass, sitting on top of the rocks. Serve.