A Kind Brûlée

I recently found out my father had a torch in his workshop (don’t ask me why, I have yet to find out) which really resembles that of a crème brûlée torch… how could I not grasp the opportunity? I adapted a recipe I to make a delicious custard without using the typical heavy cream etc. I was so tempted to eat it warm but behaved myself, which I’m glad I did because the chilled version turned out superb. There’s just something about breaking into the thin delicate crisp of the caramelized sugar into the smooth custard and getting that crunchy-creamy combo with one sweet bite. This recipe will definitely hit the spot without being too heavy. 

Ingredients:

Music: Caramel - Suzanne Vega

Mood: looking for an easy recipe to prepare a day ahead of the time it’s to be served.

3 cups low fat milk

¼ cup honey

6 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup plus 1 Tbs granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Warm the milk in a saucepan on medium heat and add the honey for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the milk doesn't burn. Remove from the heat and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg whites, vanilla and salt in a bowl then slowly add in the milk, a little at a time while whisking so that the eggs don’t curdle. Strain the mixture into another bowl to get out the clumps, I poured it into a large measuring cup I had to easily pour it into the ramekins. Next, lightly grease 8 ramekins and pour the mixture into each ramekin. Place the ramekins in a deep pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan until the water reaches to the level of the custard. This hot water bath baking method makes sure that the custard is cooked gently and evenly. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until a knife comes out clean if poked in the center of the custard. Remove from the oven and allow the custard to chill then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Servings: 8 small ramekins.

Caramelizing the Top:

Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar on top of the custard and spread it evenly so it covers the whole surface. Using a crème brulee torch, move the flame around slowly so that the sugar is melted evenly. This part takes patience and please don’t go too crazy with the torch. Enjoy xx