Cooking For Engineers Forum Index Cooking For Engineers
Analytical cooking discussed.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Recipe File: Creme Brulee (Crème Brûlée)
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 13, 14, 15  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Comments Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
gscott
Guest





PostPosted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:54 pm    Post subject: Creme Brulee Reply with quote

On the subject of vanilla-if you use extract, the creme brulee will be delicious. However, if you have ever used real vanilla bean, there is a noticable difference, and you'll not want to use extract again. Also, I have added a tablespoon or so of chambourd liqueur, giving the dessert an excellent raspberry flavor.
Back to top
Smillie - OzFire -
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:20 am    Post subject: Vanilla Reply with quote

Here in Australia there are two very different products available
Vanilla Extract and Vanilla essence
the essence is crap - just a flavour in alcohol - very cheap
the essence however is the pulp of the vanilla bean pod.
Its flavour is excellent although not as good as good fresh pods.
It is thick and paste like and well worth buying. but expensive

Just tried a Crème Brûlée with basil leaves infused in the cream with the real vanilla pods. Fantastic... quite Surprising, maybe needs a different name though...

I used to have a branding iron with the restaurants logo to scortch the tops, looked great.
Back to top
Smillie - OzFire -
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:22 am    Post subject: oOPPPS Reply with quote

oops = Sorry

The extract is the good stuff the essence is crap...
Back to top
Skilleman
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:24 pm    Post subject: Microwave oven? Reply with quote

Has anybody coocked Creme Brulee successfully in a microwave oven? I'm thinking of the custard. Any ideas/tips/thoughts on the topic?

I love Creme Brulee, and have easy access to vanilla beans. In Norway we have something called vanilla sugar, and it works nicely when beans nowhere near.

BTW: A great site for us engineers... Smile
Back to top
spki
Guest





PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:40 am    Post subject: creme brulee Reply with quote

My creme brulee is too runny - it has been in the fridge for 24 hours. Can I salvage it for a dinner party tomorrow night?
Back to top
Guest






PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:14 pm    Post subject: Salvaging undercooked Creme Brulee Reply with quote

spki -- put it back in the oven (in a water bath) and cook it some more. I've done this before and it worked -- and should help save your new year's dessert!

Alternative would be to turn it out of the ramekin onto a dessert plate and spoon a light caramel sauce over it and call it creme carmel instead of creme brulee.
Back to top
Guest






PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is black vanilla beans ok? How long and where can you store the vanilla beans?
Back to top
Michael Chu



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

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anonymous wrote:
Is black vanilla beans ok? How long and where can you store the vanilla beans?

Are there non-black vanilla beans? I believe that all vanilla bean pods turn dark brown or black when dried and matured.

Vanilla beans should be able to be stored indefinitely when properly stored. Keep them in a cool dry place in an airtight container. Don't store them in the refrigerator or the freezer. I've heard of many people storing them in vodka or covering them in sugar with great success. The vodka and sugar then becomes vanilla flavored after a few weeks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
MichaelBlack
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:50 am    Post subject: Additions Reply with quote

I just finished making the custard portion of this. Man, it was prety easy. But after about 30 minutes in the oven, I topped the custard with 2 half slices of fresh kiwi on both sides of 2 frozen blueberries and either a frozen raspberry or a frozen blackberry. Since I have fruit on top, the caramel glaze should be made in a pan and pour on instead of touching. I added a an ounce of Kuhlua to this glaze. Just another twist. This recipe made 7 servings of about 5.5 oz each.
Back to top
liz
Guest





PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:16 pm    Post subject: Why do you bake creme brulee in a water bath? Reply with quote

A friend of mine explained it to me, but I just didn't get it.

Why is creme brulee on it's own mealy and coarse, but baked in a water bath smooth and creamy. Why oh why?

Responses appreciated.
Back to top
Ray
Guest





PostPosted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Liz
Simply put the water bath evens out the temperature absorption, you need that amount oh heat to cook it but it must penetrate slowly to stop the protein clumping and forming scrambled eggs.

If you cook scrambled eggs in a double boiler for the creamiest eggs ever.
cheers Ray
Back to top
Cade
Guest





PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:15 am    Post subject: Sweet Potato variant Reply with quote

I came up with the following recipe for a contest requiring sweet potatoes to be used in every dish. (if you have seen the TV show Iron Chef, this was the basic idea.) Everyone really loved my creme brulee, so I am sharing it here.

Crème Brûlée with sweet potatoes

6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
about 2 medium sweet potatoes (sorry I did not measure- it might have been less)

Pretty much follow the recipe for regular creme brulee but with the following additions:

Peel, cube and steam the sweet potatoes until soft. Smash the sweet potatoes with a potato ricer to get them smooth. I guess you could use canned sweet potatoes and mush them up in a food processor as well, but I did not want to make sweet potato paste, which might happen if you over-mix them in a food processor. Besides a food processor costs a couple hundred dollars while a potato ricer costs less than ten.
I guess you could do other things to get the sweet potatoes nice and cooked and smooth, I just choose to steam them because it was easy.

Let the mushed-up sweet potatoes rest until room temperature, and mix them in with your egg mixture.

To incorporate brown sugar with the eggs, I sifted it with my sieve into the eggs to remove any lumps, and to make sure I added it a little at a time so that the sugar incorporated itself into the eggs slowly. I was probably being over-cautious, but brown sugar likes to lump, and custards are supposed to be smooth.

After tempering the cream into the egg-sugar-sweet potato mixture, you will need to really sieve the resulting custard. There is a lot of fiber in sweet potatoes, and while healthy, it must be strained out for a nice smooth custard.

(If anyone can think of something good to do with all this fiber and leftover pre-custard that remains in the sieve I'd like to know, it should be pretty tasty. )

Since we are already adding sweet potatoes, you could consider adding flavors other than vanilla. Allspice, cinnamon, ginger or some combination thereof are good candidates.
Back to top
wadeb
Guest





PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:46 pm    Post subject: french press for custards Reply with quote

I was recently making flan for the first time, and was searching around the kitchen for a fine mesh strainer, when I discovered a french press that I rarely use for coffee or tea.

A french press is a tall cylinder with a spout, and a fine mesh screen on a plunger. It's typically used for steeping coffee and then straining out the grinds.

After mixing in the cream you just pour it into the press, push down the plunger and then pour straight into the ramekins.

The screen does a great job straining the custard - it's very fine and the plunger makes it go quickly, and the spout and lid make pouring into the ramekins a lot easier.

-Wade
Back to top
zipcoon
Guest





PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:38 am    Post subject: Vanilla Beans Reply with quote

After making this recipe twice I have come to the immediate conclusion that you DO NOT want to use vanilla extract! I tasted a noticeable difference by using fresh vanilla beans that I purchased from Beanilla Vanilla. I have used vanilla beans in many of my recipes and always buy mine from them.

Their website address is http://www.beanilla.com
Back to top
purple_earth172@hotmail.c
Guest





PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:59 am    Post subject: solidifying Reply with quote

help!
the creme brulee i tried to make did not solidify! I followed the instructions exactly and it just did not seem to work!
My friend tried making it with double the cooking time and it still did not seem to completely solidify... any suggestions?
Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Cooking For Engineers Forum Index -> Comments Forum All times are GMT
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 13, 14, 15  Next
Page 4 of 15

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You can delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group