Cranberry Creme Brulee Recipes

Steps:

• Spoon 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce into each of 8 (4-ounce) ramekins.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the half-and half, vanilla bean, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat just until scalded; do not allow the mixture to boil.
• Fill a large bowl with water and add ice. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, egg yolks, and granulated sugar and mix. Gradually stir in the scalded half-and-half mixture and place the smaller bowl in the bowl of ice water to cool completely. Stir in the heavy cream and top equally the cranberry prepped ramekins. Place in a baking dish just large enough to hold them and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set but still quivers in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water and refrigerate to cool completely.
• Preheat the broiler, if using. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar on top of each custard, spread over the surface, and tap out any excess. Place the ramekins on a broiling tray and broil until the top is melted and caramelized, about 30 seconds. Watch carefully; the sugar can burn easily. If using a torch (see Tip), pass the flame about 2 inches over the surface of the custards until the sugar is completely caramelized. Serve while the sugar is still warm.
• * If using a torch, replace the superfine sugar with raw sugar, which caramelizes more successfully under a torch flame.

Steps:

• Cranberry Sauce: in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice concentrate, and water; stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil.
• Add in the cranberries; return mixture to a boil.
• Decrease heat and simmer gently for about 12 minutes; it will thicken and become glossy.
• Remove from heat; cool to room temperature and chill; you will have more than you need for the custards.
• Custard: position oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350°; lightly butter or spray the ramekins.
• Pour the cream into a medium pan.
• Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the tiny seeds into the pan; add the bean pod.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat; remove pan from heat immediately and set aside for 15 minutes; discard the bean pod.
• While the vanilla bean is steeping in the cream, in a big bowl, combine the egg yolks and ½ cup sugar; whisk until blended.
• Slowly add the cream and vanilla mixture; mix well.
• Set the ramekins in the baking pan lined with a dish towel.
• Ladle the custard into the ramekins.
• Place the pan on the oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the cremes are set, but not brown.
• Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven; using a dish towel, carefully remove the ramekins from the hot water and cool to room temperature on a baking rack.
• Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled for at least 2 hours, or even overnight.
• Before serving, preheat broiler; set the oven rack to within 1 to 1 ½ inches from the heat.
• Remove the cremes from the refrigerator, uncover, and gently blot any moisture on the surface with a paper towel.
• Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce evenly on each custard.
• Sprinkle the top of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
• Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler.
• Broil, watching constantly and rotating the pan for even caramelization, until the toppings are bubbling and a rich brown, about 2 minutes.
• Alternatively, brown the tops with a torch for about 1-2 minutes.
• Serve immediately.