I’m having a jealousy issue.
I’m really jealous of people who have never had Crème Brûlée
Because I’ll never again get to experience that very first delectable bite of this most awesome of creations.
And they will.
They will sit at the table after ordering their dessert, not even knowing what amazing-ness awaits them. It will be delivered in a gleaming white bowl and will look deceptively simple. They will pick up their spoon and wonder, “how do I actually eat this?” And then they will tap their spoon on that beautiful caramelized sugar crust before breaking through to the glorious custard waiting just below the surface. And taste that first incredibly smooth bite mixed with the perfect crunch.
As soon as I know that I will be eating dinner at a restaurant I begin wondering whether or not my favorite dessert will be on the menu.
Of course, I try and act all nonchalant when the time finally comes to place my order.
“Hmmmm…what should I have for dessert tonight?”
“Should I try the chocolate cake? Or maybe I should have the ice cream with fresh berries?”
I’ll do a fake sigh of resignation. And then in my most casual “I could really care less what I have for dessert” manner, I’ll say
“Well, I suppose I’ll just have the Crème Brûlée.”
And while I’ll look all calm, cool and collected on the outside, on the inside I will be giddy with anticipation!
And, I’m not gonna lie, if my own lemon-y version were on the menu, I might just end up skipping the main course all together!
Ingredients
- 5 eggs yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon exract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until completely smooth. Add the heavy cream and lemon extract and lightly mix or fold into the egg and sugar mixture. Put empty ramekins in a casserole or baking dish with higher sides and fill the dish with hot water until it reaches about half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Fill the ramekins almost completely full with the egg mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes (or until knife inserted in center comes out fairly clean). Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Once completely cool (you can speed up the process by putting them in the fridge for a bit), lightly sprinkle brown sugar on the tops of the ramekins and then place under the broiler in the oven watching carefully until sugar caramelizes on the top. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Serves 4-6
The actual translation of Crème Brûlée is ‘burnt cream’.
Which just proves that everything sounds better when you say it in French.
So, I guess what I should really call my version is Le Citron Crème Brûlée.
Doesn’t that just sound like Spring? And yummy goodness?
I can’t think of anything I would rather have for Easter dessert than this.
And, you know, these photos were taken earlier in the week.
So, technically it will have been a few days since I last experienced the thrill of this concoction. Which means there is a good chance that it will feel like the first time…all over again! 😉
Click here for Candied Lemon Peel Recipe
Goodness that looks fabulous! I love love love creme brulee and anything lemony! Right up my alley ladies! What a perfect dessert for Easter brunch or dinner. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Wishing you both a very Happy Easter.
XO Barbara
They look delicious, Vanessa! My husband loves, Crème Brulee! In fact, we went to the outlets last week while he was off and he wandered into one of those kitchen stores and bought a Crème Brulee kit. It came with the ramekins, torch and a mix {I think}. Anyway, he handed it off to my son-in-law {the baker} to use so he could make some for hubby for his birthday instead of having birthday cake. I love it, because, being gluten free, sometimes that is the only menu dessert item I can have, but I also love custard!
Get ready to be jealous. 🙂
I’ve never had it before….but I will now!
Happy day friend!
karianne
Yum-o!! When my friend was pregnant she craved creme brulee so we hit every restaurant that had it for lunch! It was a HUGE sacrifice I had to make for her… Haha.
~Cheryl
http://snaps-of-ginger.blogspot.com
LOL! Cheryl that is definitely being a true friend! 😉
My taste buds just lit up! The lemon sounds amazing. About 10 yrs. ago my sisters and I had lunch at a “fancy” Buffalo restaurant while I was visiting and we sat on top of the building on their patio. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we had such a nice visit. We ordered one Creme Brûlée to share at the end because my brother use to make it at a restaurant he worked at (we speak of him a lot when we are together ;). I had never had it, and felt exactly like you describe. It was a moment I will never forget! Thanks for the trip back, Vanessa! Your’s looks beautiful! Pinning 😉
I love creme brulee and that is my TOP choice for dessert when dining out. Here in Dallas we have a restaurant called “Jasper’s” that is my favorite place to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays. They have a “Butterfinger” Creme Brulee – wowzers it’s good!
Your blog is so pretty and silly too. I’m going to follow you on blog lovin.
Cheers from Italy where we are not sure if its spring or winter.
Natalie
Wow! This sounds delicious. I hope to try out your recipe soon.
Oh my deliciousness! Creme brulee is my absolute favorite dessert and I can not wait to try out your lemon version! Gorgeous pics!!!
My neighbor just made some. He had the sugar going in the oven, but it seemed to be taking too long. I mentioned that I’ve seen chefs use mini propane torches to melt the sugar. He went to the garage and brought back his propane torch. A quick light, and he was is creme brulee sugar melting business.
We love everything lemon in this household and creme brûlée too…so what a fabulous dessert for us to try…and it looks beautiful!…
This is just gorgeous. I love everything about it. So light, airy, calming, comfy.
I have only had Creme Brulee just once and it was made by someone who did french cooking and It was so delicious. I had such fun that night as I was with friends..
Have a great day.
I’m in the process of making this tonight, have followed the directions but at 1.5 hrs it’s still not cooked or set, the knife doesn’t come out clean. Every other recipe that I’ve seen calls for the cream to be cooked first to almost a boil…was this step omitted from the recipe? I had wanted to make this as a special surprise for my husband but i think it’s just a failure at this point.
Thanks.
Hi Stacy! I’m so sorry that the recipe isn’t working for you and I’m trying to figure out where it might have gone wrong. I’ve made this numerous times and it’s always set up properly for me without cooking the cream first. My apologies!
This will be my Easter Sunday dessert!
I may put 3 jelly beans on top for the presentation.🐣
Do you have any idea how much ahead of time I can prepare these? ( like the day before?) I would, of course wait till time to serve to broil the tops.
Thanks!