The Crème Brulee Secrets

Linda facing down the Brulee with her torch!

Crème Brulee is a simple concept with complex execution techniques. (Do not fear the torch!)

This cold custard with a caramelized sugar topping crackles when spooned and crunches in the mouth, then dissolves quickly, lighting your tastebuds with sugar fireworks.

In Paris, (did I mention I was in Paris this summer- at a cooking class? : ) ), we met up with Briony (right) to learn some classic french desserts.

Briony with Linda.

The creme puffs we made were divine, but the creme brulee took my breath away with the soft cool custard bottom and the caramelized sugar on top. I was worried about the torch, but quickly got used to the power. It is on my Christmas List as an item that will probably be used three or four times a year but totally worth it. (Unlike some of the small appliances that collect dust in my cupboard!)

Briony taught us several secrets to diving Creme Brulee that I'll share with you:
1. Make sure the custard is cold before torching the top. (Because we were there for only several hours she put the custard in the freezer for an hour or so.)
2. Choose a low, wide serving dish as opposed to a ramekin-style dish. Surface area is important in the torching process.
3. When torching, concentrate on one outside edge area until it begins to sizzle and then move on, working your way around the edge. Once the edges are nearly done, wave the torch back and forth over the whole surface area. Too much torching is preferable to too little.
4. BE VERY CAREFUL moving your torched dishes. They're HOT.
5. Do not use the silly torches that home stores sell. They don't hold enough fuel for more than a couple of desserts, they are weak in performance and, really, when you get down to it, they're for sissies. You're not a sissy, are you?
6. The best place to buy a torch is at the hardware store. They're used to women coming in to ask and they get a kick out of it. Try it. You'll have fun. Guaranteed.

Shirley: I don't think it could taste any better than this!

Here is the Recipe from Briony:
Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 ounces sugar (1/2 cup sugar)
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 ounces of sugar for caramelizing (1/4 cup sugar)

How To:

1. Put cream and vanilla bean (cut in half) into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. (just to a boil, not boiling all over the place!)
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar.
3. Temper the cream into the egg-sugar mixture. (this means add about 1/2 cup of hot cream mix to the eggs to warm the eggs up so that when you pour all the rest of the cream in, you won't end up with scrambled egg bits.) 
4. Now, pour the rest of the cream into the egg mixture and stir gently but firmly- you don't want to add air, just mix it. (If you think you've got little egg floaties, you can strain this through a cheesecloth) 
5. Portion the mixture between your cream brulee dishes and bake them in a water bath at 325 degrees in a conventional oven. 300 in a convection oven for about 40 minutes. (CHECK REGULARLY!)
6. The cream should be barely set in the middle.
7. Remove from the oven and transfer. 
8. For the Torching: sprinkle on the sugar and torch- the torch should be about 6 inches away from the dish to start with although we went quite close in to finish off the middle...