Eggnog Creme Brulee

Recipe below! Crème brûlée is a favourite dessert of mine to make when hosting friends over the holidays and this version is especially festive because I use eggnog in place of some of the whipping cream, making each bite rich without being too heavy.

This recipe is brought to you by Organic Meadows.

Makes six 5 oz (150 mL) desserts

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Cook Time: 35 minutes

The brûlées will keep without the caramelized sugar layer, uncovered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.

• Ingredients •

• 1¼ cups (310 mL) whipping cream
• 1 cup (250 mL) Organic Meadow 3.2% eggnog
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 6 egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp (75 g) granulated sugar, plus extra for the brûlée topping
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) amber rum (optional)

• Directions •

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and place six 5 oz (150 mL) flat crème brûlée dishes or regular ramekins in a large pan where the sides of the pan are higher than the ramekins.

2. Heat the cream and eggnog in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat with the vanilla and nutmeg. Heat the cream for about 5 minutes, watching so that it doesn’t boil over.

3. Whisk the egg yolks, 6 Tbsp (75 g) of sugar and rum together in a small bowl. Whisk in the hot cream slowly, whisking constantly (but not overly vigorously) until all has been added. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and then ladle or pour into the ramekins. If any small bubbles appear on the surface of the custards, use the corner of a paper towel to dab them off (bubbles will prevent the brûlée from browning easily and evenly).

4. Prepare the hot water bath and bake. Pour boiling water carefully around the brûlée dishes in the pan, so that the water comes just past halfway up the dishes. Carefully place the pan in the oven. Bake the custards for about 20 minutes for flat dishes and about 30 minutes for regular ramekins, until they are set around the edges but still jiggle a little when gently moved. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the custards cool in the water bath for 10 minutes. Remove them using a tea towel or oven mitt to cool completely on the rack.

5. Chill the custards for at least 3 hours before serving.

6. Caramelize the tops with sugar. Sprinkle each custard with a thin layer of sugar. Carefully ignite a kitchen butane torch and caramelize the sugar by moving the torch back and forth over the custard, about an inch or two away from the top. Sprinkle another thin layer of sugar over the first layer and torch it, repeating another two times or until the caramel layer is to your liking. Serve immediately.

Tip: Give your glass of eggnog into a Crème brûlée twist by rimming the glass in caramelized sugar! To make the caramelized sugar, place 1/3 cup (70 g) of granulated sugar, the water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and stir to mix. Bring to a full boil over high heat, without stirring, and boil until the sugar turns a light amber, about 90 seconds. Remove from the heat. Immediately pour the sugar onto a parchment lined baking tray or pie plate, swirling to get the sugar into as thin a layer as possible before it sets. Let the sugar mixture cool in the pan on a wire rack until set, about 30 minutes, then crush the caramel into small pieces in a resealable bag. Dip each glass in lightly whisk egg white and then into the sugar, and sprinkle some caramel on top of the eggnog once you’ve filled your glass.