Cooking For Engineers

annonymous · Guest

Does anyone know about how long you can keep the custards in the refrigerator before they are no longer good anymore?

guest · Guest

How long can one refrigerate the baked CB before caramelizing and serving? If they were covered well, would a couple of days be too long?

Michael Chu · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 1654 Location: Austin, TX (USA)

awarner · Guest

Thanks so much for the simple step-by-step instructions with pictures! Makes cooking fancy stuff so easy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Tina · Guest

I love this recipe, it makes a great, wonderfully rich custard. I'm one of those rare people, it seems, who dislikes the sugar crust so I never do it. I'm also lacking in ramekins. I actually make one big custard in a large ceramic bowl, still doing the water bath, it takes about an hour and a half. Three spoon fulls is enough for a serving so it I've got days and days worth of desserts for the evening. Smile

I highly recommend this recipe, it's simple and delicious.

Howard · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 64

Why does the cream need to simmer first?

Also, I exploded the top edge of a custard cup. Might be a good idea to wear glasses while making these.

Majesty · Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:43 am Post subject: Warm crème brûlée

Just like innaphog I like my crème brûlée warm-ish. The best variation on a crème brûlée I had was last year in Dublin, where they served a 'rhubarb brûlée'. This was served in a high ramekin, where the bottom was filled with rhubarb, and on top crème brûlée. They served it warm, just like I like it. I don't know how to do that though. Is it just a matter of placing the crème in an oven again, to heat it up. Or even use a microwave? But no matter how it technically works, rhubarb and crème brûlée is a fantastic combination, because rhubarb has a lot of acid, and the cream has a hell of a lot of sugar, it is the perfect combination.
Michael has warned for this, and my experience with making the crème also shows this, is that everyone has different circumstances with baking. My sister gave me a recipe once but she uses low ramekins and has a cool, big oven, where I have only high ramekins and a cheap little electric oven. The crèmes turned out to be too soft inside. I don't know anymore what I changed but to me this whole experimenting is the whole fun of it all.
To remarks about vanilla: here in Europe a lot of recipes advise to let a vanilla bean (cut it open first, so the little seeds can swim out) boil with the heated cream, instead of adding vanilla-extract.

Guest · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:38 pm Post subject:

I disagree with your last step - refrigerate again. I'm glad you left it off of your diagrammed recipe. I like to caramelize the sugar right at the table & hand over to my guests. Warm on top, cold on bottom. Crunchy top, creamy bottom. LOVELY!

Guest · Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:47 am Post subject:

Use amaretto as well as/or vanilla

Guest · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

Friend of mine sent me this recipe and I never knew that Creme Brulee was this easy. I love this recipe! And I agree with some people to not refrigerate again. Nothing's better than the warm top and cold bottom, YUM!

tk121 · Guest

A great addition to this recipe is to add real vanilla bean into the custard just before pouring it into the ramikans.

You can buy whole vanilla bean at most regular stores near the other spices, and it will look like a chile pepper.

What you want to do is cut it in half along it's length over the custard, and scrape the inside of the bean causing the vanilla seeds in the center to go into the custard. I typically let it sit for a little bit to allow the custard mixture to soak up some of the vanilla flavor before cooking in the oven.

This will add a distinctive "vanilla" look to the custard with all the little seeds in it once it's cooked, and does wonders to the taste! Very easy addition to the recipe, albeit a bit on the expensive side - 2 whole vanilla beans usually cost about 5 bucks.

Guest

im an asian and oven is quite rare here,we have a microwave oven though...can i cook the creme brulee custard in a steamer? Unsure

Michael Chu · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 1654 Location: Austin, TX (USA)

Fely Grace · Guest

so you mean that on working with a steamer i should consider these things:be careful in the temperature and make sure that no condensated water drips from the lid into the custard...thanks...can i cover the ramekins with foil then?