Thyme Infused Créme Brulee Recipes

THYME CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy bottomed pot bring cream just to the boil. Remove from heat, and add thyme and let sit for several minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Place the mixing bowl on top of a towel to keep it from wobbling while whisking in hot liquid. Gently whisk 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, to temper the yolks and prevent lumps take care not to make an excessive amount of bubbles. While gently whisking, slowly pour the remainder of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. With a spoon, skim off any bubbles that may have come to the surface.
• Evenly space the ramekins on a paper towel-lined baking dish to prevent ramekins from sliding. Fill each ramekin to just below the top. Place on the extended middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour hot tap water into the baking dish until 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Be careful not to get any water on the custard mixture. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and very gently slide it towards the center of the rack. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Uncover and let the custards cool in the water bath until they are cool enough to handle. Remove. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (see Cook's Note**).
• Evenly top each custard with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Burn the sugar with a blowtorch or hot branding iron. It is important that the sugar layer is thick enough and goes all the way to the edge of the ramekin; any exposed custard can burn and curdle. Serve shortly after burning the sugar so that the burnt sugar doesn't soften.

THE BEST CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large heavy roasting pan (a turkey roasting pan works great) with a clean kitchen towel and place 4 six-ounce ramekins on top of the towel spaced a few inches apart.
• Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Using the back of a paring knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from both halves of the pod. Add the seeds and pod to the cream. Whisk in the salt and 3 tablespoons of the sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Vigorously whisk the yolks and 3 more tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer on high speed and beat until pale yellow and very thick and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Whisking the yolks constantly, add a couple of teaspoons at a time from 1 cup of the hot cream, then increase to a steady stream until the cream is fully incorporated. (Don't pour too much hot cream at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.) The yolks are now tempered. Whisk the tempered yolks back into the remaining hot cream until combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or medium pitcher for easier pouring; discard the vanilla pods.
• Skim the foam off the top of the custard by placing a clean paper towel on top and lightly pressing down so it touches the surface and absorbs some of the liquid. This will make for a completely smooth and silky custard. Fill the ramekins with the custard, about 3/4 cup per ramekin.
• Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins without getting any water in the custard. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center, 35 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.
• Just before serving, evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the top of a custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above the surface. Starting in the center of the ramekin, move the flame in a circular motion and work your way out to the edges to caramelize the sugar. Repeat with the remaining sugar and custards.
• Alternatively, arrange a rack in the top position of the oven and heat the broiler on high. Place the ramekins on a rack set inside a baking sheet and broil until deep golden brown, 15 to 60 seconds, checking every 10 seconds.
• Freeze the custards for 5 minutes before serving (see Cook's Note).

CINNAMON AND ORANGE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a saucepan, combine the cream, half the sugar, the orange zest, thyme and cinnamon stick. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool. (This will infuse the cream with all the aromatics.)
• Whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until it becomes a homogeneous mixture. Slowly strain the cooled infused cream into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
• Arrange 4 wide, flat 6-ounce ramekins (with 1-inch sides) in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Carefully fill the ramekins with the custard mixture. Add hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• CAREFULLY place the pan in the oven and bake until the custard is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center but not liquid, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven, remove the ramekins and chill the custards completely, at least 1 hour.
• Dust the top of each custard with an even layer of sugar and burn the sugar with a blowtorch. The sugar will harden, turn brown and become crunchy. Torch the custards just before serving.

THYME-INFUSED CRéME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a pot over medium-low heat, bring cream to a simmer (DO NOT LET BOIL!).
• Remove from heat and add thyme; let steep several minutes, then discard thyme.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar about 3 minutes until thick and pale yellow.
• Very, very gradually whisk the hot cream into the yolk-sugar mixture. DO NOT ADD HOT CREAM QUICKLY OR IT WILL COOK THE EGGS.
• Distribute custard between 4 (6-oz) ramekins.
• Place ramekins in a shallow baking pan and fill pan with hot tap water to halfway up sides of ramekins, being careful not to let water splash into custards.
• Bake at 325F approximately 35 min until custards are just set around the edges with slightly jiggly centers.
• Remove from oven and let ramekins cool in the water bath 10 min, then chill custards in the fridge at least an hour.
• Sprinkle 1 Tbs sugar over each custard.
• Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above each custard until sugar browns and forms a crust.
• Serve immediately.