This month’s theme for the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop is Berry Nice to Meet you – berries! This theme has gotten me very excited for spring and thinking about tarts piled high with fresh berries and pavlova covered with cream and strawberries, however as it was still 10 degrees outside when I started to bake I thought I would make something more weather appropriate!
I had been craving crème brûlée lately and loved the idea of contrasting the sweet rich custard with tart raspberries. You can use any berry you want in this recipe and the combination of the soft berries cooked into the custard and the fresh berries on top is delicious and well balanced.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pouring cream 35% fat
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
- 9 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 punnet of raspberries or blueberries, strawberries - whatever you like!
- 6 tsps of light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C and place 6 x 3/4 cup ramekins into a large baking dish.
- Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, add the split vanilla bean and scrape in the seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Fill a second medium saucepan with around 10cm of water and bring to a simmer. Whisk the yolks and sugar in a metal bowl set over the saucepan of simmering water (make sure the metal bowl does not touch the water). Whisk for around 3 minutes or until mixture is pale yellow and hot to the touch.
- Remove vanilla bean and gradually add hot cream to the eggs and sugar, whisking all the time.
- Place 4-5 raspberries in the bottom of each ramekin and divide the hot cream and eggs mixture evenly into each ramekin.
- Pour hot water into the large baking dish the ramekins are sitting in. The water needs to come halfway up the sides.
- Bake the custards in their water bath for 25-30 mins or until set and lightly golden on top.
- Remove the custards from the water and place in the fridge to set over night.
- The next day sprinkle a teaspoon of brown sugar over each custard and place under the grill (or use a blow torch!) until golden and caramelised. Let sit for around 30 minutes to let the top harden (if you can wait that long!)
- Decorate with remaining fresh raspberries and ENJOY!
I love the black flecks of vanilla bean scattered throughout – always a promising sign of a good dessert! The custard was decadently rich and sweet and the occasional encounter with a tart raspberry was a welcome reprieve.
Enjoy!
22 Comments
Hi Swah, it was really nice to meet you yesterday :-) This dessert sounds fab, I love raspberries but never thought of putting them inside a custard. Salivating at the thought.
Lovely to meet you too Martyna! The raspberry and custard combo is a winner :)
Holy wowsers! What a gorgeous treat :)
Thanks Tara! Such a delicious treat can you believe I ate one for breakfast… Oops!
Sounds deliciously decadent! Yum!
It was very decadent but fortunately the raspberries ensured it wasn’t too rich. I still had to go for a big walk afterwards ;)
The strawberry brulee looks delicious & a nice variation from the plain custard brulee. Speaking of custard, that always looks the tricky part to make – is it? Your photos are spectacular.
Thanks Mum! The custard was actually very easy to make, you just have to pay careful attention that the cream doesn’t boil over and the yolks don’t overcook. And a little dexterity is required when putting the water bath in the oven ;)
What a wonderful idea. I’ve never had a raspberry brûlée but I know I would love it!
Thanks Jennifer :) I once tried a strawberry brulee and thought raspberries would work even better!
I’ve never thought of putting raspberries in a crème brulee before! But now that you mention it it makes so much sense – will have to try it out. Thanks for sharing!
SO much sense, it’s the perfect combination! As much as I love the custardy brulee, it’s nice to have something to break up the sweetness
My favourite dessert mixed with my favourite berry you say?! Simply spectacular. I will definitely be trying this out the moment I get the chance!
It sounds like this dish was made for you Amanda! Let me know how you go :)
What a gorgeous looking dessert you have here – I have to try this!
Thanks for joining this hop :)
Thanks for hosting Christina!
Mmm yum, this looks heavenly! I have yet to conquer a creme brulee in my kitchen, I must give it a try sometime soon.
Thanks Erin, it was actually surprisingly easy! You just have to make sure to watch the grill like a hawk when caramelising the sugar – the burnt sugar smell is not pleasant!
Looks lovely :) I can’t resist a brulee!
Neither can I Monica, one of my fav desserts!
Will never say no to a brulee which is one of my favourite desserts, love the photographs! :)
Thanks for the photography compliment Moya, I have been working hard to try and raise the standard of them! :)