Lemon Crème Brûlée

[mos]

Lemon Crème Brûlée
2 lemons
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
boiling water
2 to 3 tbs superfine sugar, turbinado, or raw sugar, for topping
1 lemon
water
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
With a fine grater, zest 2 lemons. Set the lemon zest aside and then juice 1 lemon. Refrigerate the second zested lemon for another use.
Heat the oven to 325°.
Place six 4-oz ramekins or four 6-oz ramekins in a large baking pan or roasting pan.
Put the heavy cream and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan.

Add the finely grated lemon zest — about 2 tbs — to the cream.

Heat until the cream begins to simmer.
While the cream is heating, beat the egg yolks and salt in a small bowl.
Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks.
Add 2 tbs of lemon juice to the mixture along with 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.
Divide the cream mixture evenly among the 6 or 4 ramekins.
Add boiling water to a depth of about halfway up the ramekins.
Bake the custards for about 30 min, or until the crème Brûlée has only a slight jiggle in the center when moved.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave the ramekins in the water bath for 15 min.
Remove the ramekins from the pan.

Discard the water from the pan and place the ramekins back in the pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
Just before serving, top the custards with about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of superfine or raw sugar. Gently rotate the ramekin on the countertop to distribute the sugar evenly over the top.

Slowly caramelize the sugar with a blow torch or a kitchen torch. The edges of the ramekins will get hot as you caramelize the sugar, so wear an oven mitt to move them.
Alternatively, place the sugar topped custards in a pan and place the pan under a preheated broiler. Broil just until the sugar has caramelized, rotating the pan about halfway through.

Watch carefully. Serves 4-6

[Author]

Posts