On our final Pioneer Woman challenge day we tackled the creme brulee recipe. In some ways, it was an utter failure. Our custard didn’t set quite right, and that’s sort of the whole point when it comes to creme brulee. And there’s a long list of possible culprits. The 80 degree weather, the unreliable oven temperature, our fault for not serving it right away after browning the sugar topping or for letting it sit out in the hot kitchen for 30 minutes while we perfected our kitchen torch skills. It was probably a combination of all these factors that left us with a consistency that was a little less like custard and a little more like thin, runny pudding.
In other ways, this recipe was a glorious success. Our hearts were light as we worked on our last Pioneer Woman day, and we approached this recipe relaxed and carefree. We exchanged office gossip while we whisked the eggs, which did turn the appropriate shade of pale yellow over time. We discovered a secret mixing bowl in the back of the cupboard that we didn’t know existed! We remembered to temper the egg mixture, even though Jennie hates having to temper things. We had occasion to purchase both ramekins AND a kitchen torch–something we’ve coveted for a long time. And we got to perfect our sugar browning techniques! Not to mention, the end result was delicious, no matter the consistency, and our lovely friends ate it without complaint!
First separate out ten egg yolks.
Survey the damage in the kitchen sink.
Heat the cream and vanilla.
Add sugar to the eggs.
Whisk the egg and sugar mixture constantly for 3 or 4 minutes.
We took turns to give our arms a break.
Next step is to temper the egg mixture by adding a small amount of the hot cream to the eggs and mixing, before slowly introducing the rest of the cream and whisking constantly. There are no pictures of this process because it was a team effort. Here I am whisking the complete mixture.
Then it’s time to pour into the ramekins!
Ooh.
Ahh.
As usual, the pioneer woman’s recipe called for 6 ramekins, but we had enough leftover to fill four glass bowls, which acted as our ramekin substitute.
Into the oven, and when they set, we let them chill for about 3 hours. (2 hour minimum)
Our first try with the kitchen torch was a bit over-zealous and we over-caramelized just a bit.
But then we got the hang of it!
[addtoany] Yum