What, oh what to do with those lovely vanilla beans we all brought back from French Polynesia? How about creme brulee?

After a lot of experimentation (hey, it's a tough gig to try many versions of a dessert made solely of cream, egg yolks, vanilla beans, and sugar - but some of us are willing to sacrifice for our art), I have a recipe that seems to be reliably repeatable, very easy to make, and quite tasty (made a convert to c.b. of Ray when he & Penny visited us last fall - he ate two, despite having previously declared that creme brulee was not at all to his liking).

This recipe is based on the one in Joy of Cooking, with elements added from Two Fat Ladies and Barefoot Contessa. It works great in those shallow (about 4.5 in. in diameter) dishes - the shallow, wide dishes allow for lots of the crackle topping, which is my favorite part. I bought a bunch of them at Pier 1 made by a French company called Cordon Bleu - about half the price of similar ramekins at Sur La Table. Using two good sized vanilla beans (rather than the single bean most recipes suggest) gives the custard a much richer vanilla flavor and aroma, along with loads of the little black seeds that look like dirt in the dish.

I hope that other LCTers will contribute their recipes for creme brulee (or any other dish that uses vanilla beans). A pox on all those crazy cardiologists who tell us the a dish made with cream and egg yolks is bad for us...

Here's the recipe (now you have to post yours):

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In an heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 cups heavy whipping cream with two vanilla beans (split) until scalding, almost to a simmer, but not boiling. Remove from the heat, cover, and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Remove the beans from the cream and scrape the seeds back into the cream with the tip of a knife. Strain the cream through a sieve (fine enough to remove any lumps or scrapings of the bean peels but still allowing the black seeds to go through into the cream).

In a medium bowl, stir 8 large egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until blended. Gradually stir in the cream. Blend well.

Pour into six ramekins or custard cups and place into large oven pan. Add very hot water to pan to halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until the custards are set but still slightly quivery in the center when the ramekins are gently shaken, about 35-40 minutes. Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Cover each one tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days (great for make-ahead).

Shortly before serving, gently blot any liquid that has formed on the surface with paper towels; then caramelize the surface as follows (this is the fun part):

Sprinkle evenly over the surface of a custard about 1 tablespoon of sugar. Caramelize the sugar with a propane torch, holding the flame about 2 inches above the surface of the custard and slowly moving it to melt and color the sugar as evenly as possible. Then, repeat the sugar and torch fun with each of the other custards.

Serve at once, while still warm, or refrigerate up to 1 hour. 6 servings.

Note: The best torch for this is a small propane torch from the hardware store. It is both cheaper to buy and more effective than the small kitchen butane torches from cooking stores.

Fred -

This is the best Creme Brulee I have ever eaten -let alone the fact that I made it! Forget that it's made with Eggs and Cream - there are no calories in it! :hug:

Thanks. I will try to make this soon.

Evil. You are pure evil. Now how am I supposed to finish losing weight for my June cruise?!?! The best creme brulee I ever had was on the PG. I hope the Mariner's is as good - I'm drooling already...

mmmm......

:)
Liz

Liz, yes, Fred is "evil", but only in a good way. I'm thinking it is not only the fresh vanilla beans, but the "heavy whipping cream" that makes a difference. Richer always tastes better, and of course, more fattening!

I will try that as soon as possible. I love creme broulee and this sounds fabulous.
Lynn

I'll see if I can't get Paul, our resident pastry chef/instructor, to chime in here. His is evil - something about the orange peel...

Edit to add...somethinng you can do with a leftover bean...set some sugar aside in a tupperware container (maybe a pound or two), split a bean in half, lengthwise, and bury it in the sugar. You will have, after a week, incredible vanilla scented sugar for baking and coffee.

OH YES!

Be still my (should be clogged) heart (if it wasn't for the the copious amounts of red wine that I consume in the name of all things yummy)!

Yes, Robert, yes, Paul, yes yes yes! Infuse orange 'peel' or the rind minus the white pithy stuff with the vanilla bean(s) in the cream prior to ...

It just seems to kick things up a notch. I also like to put some finely grated rind (orange or lemon) in a sweet pastry crust.

Oh my - now we need to book a cruise on the PG - the supply of vanilla beans in my house is inadequate!

Can't wait to try the Creme Brulee!

I step away from the stovetop when tricky recipes are involved. This is for the good of the entire planet. A sharp reduction in greenhouse gases has been the result. Otherwise, I'm burning things because I've otherwise gotten distracted. LCT has ruined more than a few of my kitchen creations.

Fred, looks like we'll have to use your priority website booking engine to reserve a spot at your dessert table. How far in advance can we book?

I *might* be willing to bring out the molasses based recipes that are drop-dead delicious if it would help our case.

Cheers, Anne

Creme Brulee is one of my favorites (key lime pie is another and a raspberry tart is the third). Gil and I will be in Seattle in late July 2008. How far is that from you and can we wrangle an invite? ;)

Regular Crème Brulee is okay, but if there is a chocoholic in the house then CHOCOLATE Crème Brulee is orgasmic. You should serve this with a warning label it’s so addictive.

1 Tbs butter
3 cups heavy cream (at least 24% milk fat) :D
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped finely (Scharffen Berger > 70% cocoa)

Dave

I don't even want to think about the calories. Yum!

Just a testamonial for the recipe. Made a double batch for Mother's Day to fulfill a request from my DH. Everyone loved it. Only problem, I need more Tahitian vanilla. I guess we have to take another trip on the PG.

Drool .... Fred, could you manage to sneak some of this onto the Voyager for CROSS? Sounds beyond perfection.

Dave, there IS a chocoholic in this house ( :) ), and it is apparent to me that you are vying to take the "evil" crown from Fred!

Well, a special treat was made for us, among many here in Camano Island. I made the recipe at home, but, Fred made it for us and somehow it always tastes best when someone else makes things. Fred, you've outdone yourself again!

Creme brulee is my favorite ( well, one of them!)

OMG, these recipes sound so decadent that I might even attempt to make it.

If it wasn't for the sugar it would be Atkins compatible.

Maria, you can substitute granulated Splenda for the sugar, which you can also torch on top, and it works just fine for Atkins!

Contemplate creme brulee with fresh raspberries baked in the custard.....had it in a small hotel restaurant in Co. Wicklow,Ireland - fabulous!!
BUT.....chocolate ganache in bottom of dish, custard made with fresh raspberries and very crunchy topping - to die for!! at the Greenbrier about a year later. I can still taste it and haven't ever seen it since. Chocolate/raspberry classic combination and creme brulee; Fred, living in the home of fantastic raspberries - up to the challenge of duplicating this? I might even try to cook again!! :D

Yes, indeed, Fred, you made a convert out of me for creme brulee, especially yours.

Wow, I'm in a sentimental mood this a.m. and am now reflecting upon our most pleasant visit with you guys last Sept.

To make matters even more pleasnt, we have already booked our flights to Camano Island for this Sept. It sure is nice to have something to look forward to.

Cheers! Ray & Penny

Ray,

Fred was just practicing on us for your visit.

We decided at dinner that what happens on Camano Island, stays on Camano Island. We've had an incredible visit with the most memorable picnic on Orcas Island, a great visit on Puget Sound, a wonderful hike and specatcular hosts, who we love to be with. We view photos from our various cruises together and did some future planning too. Like any Regent Experience, we've closed "Compass Rose" later than ever. Our dining festivities ended last night about midnight. We venture to Pike's Place Market this afternoon, we'll have a day in Seattle before heading back south. And we'll be happy to greet our good friends on Cross in November.

Kathy:

Yes, indeed, Fred & Pat are terrific hosts!

Fred obviously takes pride in his ability to please one's palate but I must say, the presentation of the meal is artful as well.

Taking an extra day in Seattle sounds interesting. We'll have to look into doing something similar.

Have a pleasant journey home.

Cheers! Ray & Penny