Creme Brulee

With some obsessions, you know exactly when they began.  The first time.  The initial discovery.  With others, the beginnnig is less dramatic, it builds up over time until there's no more ignoring it.  Creme brulee is like that for me.  I don't remember the first time I had it and it probably wasn't any good.  But somewhere along the line, I had a few good ones and that combination of silky custard and crackly crust took hold.

Until now, I've reserved that pleasure for restaurants.  After all, who keeps a kitchen blow-torch at home?  Right?  It turns out, one of my best friends does.  And when she mentioned in an offhand way that they were easy to use, my curiosity was piqued.

Then I got one as a birthday gift.

You know what comes next, right?

The custards were easy enough to make, basically some egg and yolks, sugar and cream with a splash of vanilla and grand marinier.  They baked in the oven for about 40 minutes while we made and ate dinner.  Sugar sprinkled on top,

Then it was time for the heat!  I was pretty hesitant at first, and the button was hard to hold in, which makes it less appealing to the kid-chefs who were just *dying* to try!  But once we got the hang of it, the sugar toasted up quickly and lovely it was.

There are few sounds more satisfying than cracking through that sugar crust with your spoon.  Stepping on top-side frozen puddles in the winter, dropping a sheet of ice on the ground and hearing it splinter, cracking a creme brulee.  Ahhh.

As one kid-chef noted, the flavor is similar to that of palmiers, but the creamy texture of the custard was fantastic.  I wouldn't hesitate to make these for a dinner party because the custards can be made in advance and crusted just before serving.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ali.  Thanks for the torch, Neil.

Here's hoping you get a homemade creme brulee soon chez vous!