Gingered Crème Brûlée Recipes

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Pour cream into a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Using tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean, if using, into cream and add pod (if using vanilla extract, do not add it yet). Heat cream over moderate heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat and discard pod.
• Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly until combined. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and whisk in vanilla extract, if using. Ladle custard into ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, 25 to 30 minutes. With tongs, transfer custards to a rack to cool, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours.
• Just before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over custards. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth close to sugar until sugar is caramelized. Let stand until sugar is hardened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Variation:
• Coffee Crème Brûlée: Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder into the hot cream and proceed as directed.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
• Add the cream, cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, and ginger to a medium pot and whisk to combine. Turn the heat to medium-low and bring to just below a boil, about 200°F (95°C), about 10 minutes. The cream should start to bubble around the edges of the pan. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and steep the spices for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and molasses to a large bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be a golden honey color and should fall off the whisk in ribbons.
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl and strain the cream mixture to remove the solids.
• Slowly pour the strained cream into the egg yolk mixture, adding only a little at first to temper the eggs, whisking continuously until well incorporated. Use a spoon to skim any excess foam that may have accumulated on the surface.
• Line a high-walled baking dish with a small dish towel or 1-2 paper towels to prevent the ramekins from sliding in the dish. Set 6 6-ounce ramekins in the dish. Ladle the custard into each ramekin, filling almost completely.
• Carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, taking care not to splash any water into the custard.
• Transfer the baking dish to the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the custard is set around the edges of the ramekins but still jiggles in the center when shaken. The custard will continue to set as it cools.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the custards cool in the water bath until safe to handle, about 20 minutes. Transfer the custards to the refrigerator to set completely, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the surface of each custard. Using a blow torch, caramelize the sugar until golden brown and hardened (it is okay if it darkens more in some areas). (Alternatively, set the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil on high for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar is golden brown and hardened.) Let the crème brûlées cool for 10 minutes.
• Set a 3-inch gingerbread man parchment paper cut-out on top of a crème brûlée and dust with powdered sugar. Remove the cutter and repeat with the remaining crème brûlées. Serve immediately after dusting.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Make custard:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes* in each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
• Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
• Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• Make Crème Brûlée:
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
• Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.
• *Four-inch-diameter fluted clear glass flan dishes are available at cookware stores and many hardware stores. They are about 2/3 inch deep and hold about 1/2 cup liquid.
• **Available at some cookware stores.

Steps:

• Put the cream, sugar, and ginger in a pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse overnight.
• The next day, whisk the egg yolks together in a bowl. Bring the cream mixture back to the boil and whisk it into the yolks. Strain through a fine sieve, then divide between 4 ramekins or other small dishes. Place on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for about 35 minutes, until set.
• Shortly before serving, sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the crème brûlées and then caramelize with a blowtorch. Leave for a few minutes until the sugar hardens, then garnish with the raspberries and mint sprigs.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine cream and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. Strain cream into small bowl, pressing on solids in sieve. Whisk yolks and 1 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in warm cream. Divide custard among eight 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Pour enough warm water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards just until set in center when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. Remove custards from water bath; chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours. Cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Place custards on baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of remaining sugar. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, turning sheet for even browning, about 1 minute. Refrigerate custards until topping is cold and brittle, about 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Garnish custards with strawberries and mint and serve.

Steps:

• Mix egg yolks, eggs and 6 ounces of sugar until combined. Heat the cream to scalding, add ginger and gradually pour into egg mixture, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and salt.
• Using creme brulee molds or another baking ramekin evenly distribute mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish and fill dish half way up with water, creating a water bath.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes or until set. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of molds after they have cooled. Place molds under broiler to caramelize sugar. Garnish with mint leaves.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons white sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
• Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
• Pour cream mixture into the top pan of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Steps:

• Put the rhubarb in a pan with the sugar and chopped ginger. Cook over a low heat for 10 mins or until the rhubarb has softened and begun to break down. Mix a little of the rhubarb juice with the cornflour in a small bowl, then pour into the pan and stir until thickened. Pour into the base of a round roughly 20cm dish. Leave to cool completely.
• For the custard, pour the double cream, sugar and vanilla pod (as well as the scraped-out seeds) into a pan and bring to a simmer. Scoop out the pod and discard. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and gradually pour over the simmering cream, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over a low heat, continuously stirring, for around 10 mins until it reaches 86C on a cooking thermometer, or is thickened. Pour over the cooled rhubarb, smooth to an even layer and chill overnight.
• Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top and caramelise using a blowtorch until deep golden brown. Serve.

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, heat the cream, 1/3 cup sugar and ginger until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from the heat; stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in extracts., Transfer to six 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place in a baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours., Combine brown sugar and remaining sugar. If using a creme brulee torch, sprinkle custards with sugar mixture. Heat sugar with the torch until caramelized. Serve immediately., If broiling the custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Broil 8 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.