Heide Lang, owner and chef at the Fig Cooking School, joins the Fox CT Morning Extra to share a crème brûlée recipe that is perfect for Mother’s Day. According to Heide Lang, the Lavender Crème Brûlée is one of the most popular desserts at the Fig Cooking School.
“It’s beautiful, super easy and unbelievably delicious,” said Lang. “Dads, kids or a combo of the two can easily whip this together,” she said.
For more information on the Fig Cooking School, visit the website: www.figcookingschool.com.
Lavender Crème Brûlée
Ingredients:
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• pinch of sea salt (optional)
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 8 large egg yolks room temperature
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar or granulated sugar ground very fine
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a saucepan, combine both the light and heavy cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, and the salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat, stir in the lavender and vanilla. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and combine well. Begin whisking the warm cream into the egg yolks a little at a time until the bottom of the bowl is warm.
5. Whisk in the remaining cream a little more quickly. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup; discard the lavender.
6. Place six ¾ cup ramekins in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Divide the egg yolk-cream mixture evenly among the ramekins. Transfer the dish to the oven and pour enough very hot water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. Bake at 325° F. For the first 20 minutes, and then increase temperature to 350° F. Continue baking until the custards jiggle just slightly in the centers when the ramekins are gently shaken, about 10-15 minutes longer. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and let the custards cool in the water bath for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the ramekins from the baking dish, wipe the bottoms dry and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.
9. When ready to serve, take the custards out of the refrigerator and unwrap them about an hour before (room temperature). Blot the tops with a paper towel to soak up moisture that formed in the refrigerator.
10. Take the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and grind it in a mini food processor or clean coffee grinder until it is superfine and powdery (or use superfine sugar).
11. Sprinkle the superfine sugar over the custards. Tilt and tap each ramekin to distribute the sugar evenly on the custard’s surface.
12. Put the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler 3 to 4 inches below the heating element for 1-2 minutes until the sugar bubbles and caramelizes. Be sure to monitor the custards very carefully to make sure they don’t burn.
(Alternatively, use a handheld kitchen torch and caramelize the sugar by moving the torch in a figure eight motion until the sugar is evenly browned and melted).