What exactly is creme brule?

Question

Hi everyone!
What is creme brule?
Is it supposed to be like cream consistency or like cake/pudding?
Thanks

Answer 1

It is custard and usually has hardened melted sugar on top.

Answer 2

Creme brulee, translated from French, means "burnt cream." It is a custard, which is defined as egg yolks, cream and sugar.

After the 3-5 ingredients are mixed together (some add vanilla or chocolate, for flavoring), the custard is baked in a water bath (bain marie, in French) in individual serving containers (ramekins, etc.).

A water bath means that you put the ramekins in a 13x9 lasagna pan, and pour hot/boiling water to the mid point of the ramekin, then put the pan in the oven. The water surrounded the ramekins keeps the cooking temperature stable and not too hot, so that the delicate ingredients (egg yolks, high fat content in the cream) do not overcook (if they did, you would end up with scrambled eggs, but the water bath prevents this).

After the custard has baked and cooled (in the refrigerator, you sprinkle sugar on the surface, and then broil or torch the sugar until it is crisp and crackly.

The contrasting tastes and mouth feels of cold, smooth custard in the same bite as warm, crunchy sugar globules is part of the appeal to creme brulee lovers. Other cited enjoyments are the richness of the dessert's ingredients (which is why it is best served after a rather bland entree, such as chicken or fish) and the lightness of the dish (when you want dessert, but you don't want something with chocolate-y, something heavy like cake or pie, or something cold, like ice cream).

Answer 3

Crème brulee is a custard topped with sugar and caramelized under the broiler before serving.

Here is a great recipe


Ingredients
16 seedless green grapes
100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milk
290ml/½ pint double cream
4 medium eggs, yolks only
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
4 tbsp demerara sugar

Method
1. Place four grapes in the base of each small ramekin.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, cream, egg yolks, vanilla pod and seeds, sugar and cornflour.
3. Transfer to a medium pan and place on the heat.
4. Gently cook, whisking continuously, until thick. Remove the vanilla pod.
5. Divide the mixture between the ramekins.
6. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar over the top of each.
7. Blow torch or grill until melted and golden.
8. Leave to set and go hard and serve.

Answer 4

creme brulee is custard with a melted sugar top. The custard is made first and then it cools. The demerera sugar then goes on the top. You can put it on the top shelf of your oven and set it to broil and wait for it to melt (this is not the professional way, but not too many cooks have torches). Or....for the real cook that has all the gadgets, you can pop out your mini torch and burn the hell out of the sugar (its sort of like a Zippo lighter but its got a pistol/gun like appearance and you can aim it better at the dessert, er, enemy lol). Then the sugar sets and it becomes hard. The best part is getting it cold in the fridge and then you take your spoon and "break" the sugar top. This is essential for all good Creme Brulee...sort of like sniffing the wine before you drink it.

Good luck on that!

Answer 5

Hey! Creme Brulee is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a salamander or other intense heat source. It is usually served cold in individual ramekins, an individual baking dish . The custard base is normally flavored with just vanilla, but it can be flavoured in a number of ways, with chocolate, liqueur, fruit, etc. Hope this was helpful to you.

Answer 6

Crème brûlée (French 'burnt cream', IPA [ˌkrem bruː ˈleɪ] in English; [kʁɛm bʁy le] in French) is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a salamander or other intense heat source. It is usually served cold in individual ramekins. The custard base is normally flavored with just vanilla, but it can be flavoured in a number of ways, with chocolate, liqueur, fruit, etc.

It is first attested in France, in Massialot's cookbook, in 1691. The French name was used in the English translation of this book, but in the early 18th century, it was called 'burnt cream' in English.[1]

In Britain, it is associated with Trinity College, Cambridge, where the college arms were "impressed on top of the cream with a branding iron"[2]. It was introduced to Trinity College in 1879,[3] though some cookbooks claim a much older origin. [4]

In Catalonia, it is called crema catalana, and has a custard base aromatised with lemon and cinnamon.

Answer 7

Creme Brulee is a custard made of vanilla, heavy cream, egg youlks, sugar, and almond or orange liqueur(optional) and brown sugar.
So to answer you question, more of a pudding. . .custard is like a fine pudding.

Answer 8

It's a baked custard, which means it has eggs in it. It's usually topped with caramelized sugar. I had one at the Yardhouse restaurant, it had chocolate chunks on the bottom and the sugar was caramelized over sliced bananas...oh man was it ever good! I also had an ginger/orange flavored one at a wedding, different, but tasty.

Answer 9

It is 1) my favorite all time dessert! and 2) a custard desert. It is yummy, and the best thing when made right. It is not so good when it is not made right.

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/recipe_cbrulee2.htm

Answer 10

Dessert made with heavy cream, like a custard..........ummmm yummy, delicious!!!