Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify in
the fridge?

Old Dominion wrote:
>
> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify in
> the fridge?

Baking it properly???

Despite some odd rumor that Creme Brulee is difficult to make, it's
really very easy. The only step with real screw up potential is wisking
the scalded cream into the egg yolk and sugar mix slowly so you temper
the eggs instead of scrambling them. Baking should be something like 40
minutes or so at 325 degrees in a bain marie aka water bath.

Epicurious has a decent recipe or two.

Pete C.

Old Dominion wrote:
> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify in
> the fridge?


You have to show us your recipe for us to identify the problem point.
There could be something that's not clear in the directions.


--Lia

Thanks for your responses - both Lia and Pete C. The recipe was on the back
of the 6-Pc Creme Brulee Set box we purchased at Sur la Table. The set
included all of the necessary equipment: 8 inch baking pan, wire holding
rack, and 4 ramekins. Like you, we figured it should be easy to make.

Here is the recipe verbatim. (Pete C., note that the recipe mentions nothing
about "wisking the *scalded* cream into the egg yolk." The step you
identified as having real screw-up potential.

Ingredients:
6 Egg yolks
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 Cups heavy cream
3/4 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Teaspoons granulated sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar
together until the sugar is dissolved and egg yolk mixture is thick and
light in color. Add cream and vanilla extract and whisk until blended.
Strain teh mixture into a large bowl skimming off any foam or bubbles.

Place wire rack in pan and fill pan just under halfway with water. Place the
ramekin cups into the wire rack and pur mixture evenly into the four cups.
(Water should cover bottom half of cups).

Bake creme brulee until the edges are set, but still slightly loose in
center, around 50-55 minutes. Remove the pan from teh oven and let sit on a
wire rack until cooled. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit on a wire
rack until cooled. Remove the cups from the rack and chill at least 2 hours.

Before serving, place the ramekins back into the wire rack and pan; sprinkle
1-1/2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each. Blah blah blah... Melting the sugar
is definitely not our problem.

Are scalded cream and slow wisking for egg tempering the secrets to
successful CB? Please forgive the novice questions that follow but what
exactly is the process for scalding cream and what is the visual difference
between "tempered" vs. "scrambled" eggs?

Matt & Maryna


"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
. ..
> Old Dominion wrote:
>> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
>> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify in
>> the fridge?
>
>
> You have to show us your recipe for us to identify the problem point.
> There could be something that's not clear in the directions.
>
>
> --Lia
>

Old Dominion wrote:

> Are scalded cream and slow wisking for egg tempering the secrets to
> successful CB?


Basically, yes.


Beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Put them aside for a moment.
Combine the sugar and heavy cream in a sauce pot and heat until almost
boiling.
Add a tablespoon of the cream to the yolks and whisk like crazy.
Add another tablespoon and keep whisking.
Continue in this manner. The idea is to put only a little of the hot
cream into the cold yolks at a time so the hot cream doesn't cook the
yolks and scramble them. When you've got half the cream in the yolks,
put the whole mixture back in the sauce pan and heat slowly over low
heat while stirring.


NOW continue following the directions you've got. You should have far
better results.


--Lia

Old Dominion wrote:
>
> Thanks for your responses - both Lia and Pete C. The recipe was on the back
> of the 6-Pc Creme Brulee Set box we purchased at Sur la Table. The set
> included all of the necessary equipment: 8 inch baking pan, wire holding
> rack, and 4 ramekins. Like you, we figured it should be easy to make.
>
> Here is the recipe verbatim. (Pete C., note that the recipe mentions nothing
> about "wisking the *scalded* cream into the egg yolk." The step you
> identified as having real screw-up potential.
>
> Ingredients:
> 6 Egg yolks
> 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
> 1-1/2 Cups heavy cream
> 3/4 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
> 6 Teaspoons granulated sugar (for the caramelized tops)
>
> Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar
> together until the sugar is dissolved and egg yolk mixture is thick and
> light in color. Add cream and vanilla extract and whisk until blended.
> Strain teh mixture into a large bowl skimming off any foam or bubbles.
>
> Place wire rack in pan and fill pan just under halfway with water. Place the
> ramekin cups into the wire rack and pur mixture evenly into the four cups.
> (Water should cover bottom half of cups).
>
> Bake creme brulee until the edges are set, but still slightly loose in
> center, around 50-55 minutes. Remove the pan from teh oven and let sit on a
> wire rack until cooled. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit on a wire
> rack until cooled. Remove the cups from the rack and chill at least 2 hours.
>
> Before serving, place the ramekins back into the wire rack and pan; sprinkle
> 1-1/2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each. Blah blah blah... Melting the sugar
> is definitely not our problem.
>
> Are scalded cream and slow wisking for egg tempering the secrets to
> successful CB? Please forgive the novice questions that follow but what
> exactly is the process for scalding cream and what is the visual difference
> between "tempered" vs. "scrambled" eggs?
>
> Matt & Maryna
>
> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
> . ..
> > Old Dominion wrote:
> >> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> >> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify in
> >> the fridge?
> >
> >
> > You have to show us your recipe for us to identify the problem point.
> > There could be something that's not clear in the directions.
> >
> >
> > --Lia
> >

At that lower temperature and with not using the "normal" scalded cream
method the baking time should be a lot longer than 50-55 min.

I don't think the scalded cream and tempered egg yolk custard mix is
critical to getting a workable result. I do think that it is likely to
produce a bit creamier result though. They clearly went with the basic
cold mix method to avoid the problems of people ending up with scrambled
eggs from adding the scalded cream too fast and not constantly whisking.

For my creme brulee I use a pint of heavy cream, 6 large egg yolks, 1/2
cup sugar, a tablespoon of vanilla extract and then whatever flavoring
I'm using (I always have the vanilla base). Preheat the oven to 325
degrees (I use convection).

The pint of cream goes in a saucepan to scald, basically just heat to
160-180 degrees or so, exact temp isn't really critical, just hot and
not scorched. While the cream is heating I put the sugar and egg yolks
into a 4 cup measuring cup and whisk until blended and light.

When the cream is ready I remove the saucepan from the heat, add
whatever flavorings I'm using (banana liquor is a good one, perhaps 1/4
cup) and blend it in. While constantly whisking the egg yolk and sugar
mixture, slowly add the scalded cream. Go very slowly at first until the
egg yolks are tempered and then you can go a bit faster.

Place a roasting pan that is as deep as the ramekins on the oven rack.
Fill the ramekins with the creme brulee mixture and place in the
roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water )hot tap water is
fine) to cover halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40
minutes.

When baking is complete remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool
rapidly (I place them on a slab of granite) and then refrigerate for at
least a few hours. When about ready to serve do the caramelized sugar
topping thing.

This recipe always works for me and I've made many variants of it from
vanilla to banana to orange to blackberry to pumpkin. Coordinated
garnish is always good.

Pete C.

Old Dominion wrote on 19 Sep 2006 in rec.food.cooking

> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify
> in the fridge?
>
>
>

Cooking it first.


--


Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect

-Alan

Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
> Old Dominion wrote on 19 Sep 2006 in rec.food.cooking
>
>> Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
>> Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify
>> in the fridge?
>>
>>
>>
>
> Cooking it first.

Precisely. It seems as though the OP's recipe must be unclear on that point.

Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
> Old Dominion wrote on 19 Sep 2006 in rec.food.cooking
>
> > Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> > Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify
> > in the fridge?
> >
> >
> >
>
> Cooking it first.

But is it so much different from baked custard? I make baked custard
all the time; it goes in the baking pan totally liquid (not whisked
with scalded cream or cooked in any way) and comes out set beautifully
with a little bitty crust around the top edge.

I set the Pyrex casserole with the liquid custard in it in a pan of
water (about 1/2-1/2 way up the sides of the custard dish).

How is basic creme brulee (without the after-browning of sugar)
different?

N.

Oh pshaw, on Fri 22 Sep 2006 01:32:58p, Nancy2 meant to say...

>
> Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
>> Old Dominion wrote on 19 Sep 2006 in rec.food.cooking
>>
>> > Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
>> > Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify
>> > in the fridge?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Cooking it first.
>
> But is it so much different from baked custard? I make baked custard
> all the time; it goes in the baking pan totally liquid (not whisked
> with scalded cream or cooked in any way) and comes out set beautifully
> with a little bitty crust around the top edge.
>
> I set the Pyrex casserole with the liquid custard in it in a pan of
> water (about 1/2-1/2 way up the sides of the custard dish).
>
> How is basic creme brulee (without the after-browning of sugar)
> different?
>
> N.
>

Not much different at all, Nancy. The scalding of cream and tempering of
the eggs with the cream will accelerate the cooking process.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Nancy2 wrote:
>
> Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
> > Old Dominion wrote on 19 Sep 2006 in rec.food.cooking
> >
> > > Three attempts at making Creme Brule, three ramikins full of liquid.
> > > Followed recipe to the letter. What's the secret to making it solidify
> > > in the fridge?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Cooking it first.
>
> But is it so much different from baked custard? I make baked custard
> all the time; it goes in the baking pan totally liquid (not whisked
> with scalded cream or cooked in any way) and comes out set beautifully
> with a little bitty crust around the top edge.
>
> I set the Pyrex casserole with the liquid custard in it in a pan of
> water (about 1/2-1/2 way up the sides of the custard dish).
>
> How is basic creme brulee (without the after-browning of sugar)
> different?
>
> N.

Creme brulee and baked custard are similar, virtually the same
ingredient wise, but not the same in results. The technique for creme
brulee produces a custard that is quite a bit softer and creamier than a
typical baked custard.

Pete C.