Have you had a chance to visit Nazneet at Coffee and Crumphets? You haven’t? Oh dear! You have NO idea how much you are missing out on. Nazneen makes cooking at home look glamorous, and yet so at home. Being at her blog feels like you in a supreme comfort zone, like dropping in on a dear friend for a quick coffee and loving every moment of it. She also cooks up the most gorgeous food you can find at a blog. She is, in one word, amazing. A Mom to four kids, she is also my kind of blogger – chilled out, imaginative and fun.
Over to Nazneen 🙂
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Hello everybody! My name is Nazneen and I have the little blog, Coffee and Crumpets. I am a Brit with Indian ancestry living in beautiful Colorado with my husband and four children.
I was all excited when Minnie asked me to guest post for her. She’s amazing; a great cook, a witty author with great stories and just a very bubbly, vibrant person. I know all this just from reading her blog! I hope one day we can meet in person because I know that will not be a dull visit.
Saying yes to guest posting was easy; the hard part was racking my brains to find something to make. My daughter helped me out with that eventually. She turned 18 last month and her request for birthday dessert was crème brûlée. Perfect! Simple, yet decadent and totally sinful. I adore crème brûlée and am often disappointed when I order it at restaurants. Something is always not quite right, and yet, I continue to order it just to be annoyed! When I make it at home, which is only on special occasions, it turns out amazing; luscious, creamy and delectable, with a delicate hint of lemon. It’s a very easy dessert to make at home and that also, makes me wonder why I punish myself ordering it at restaurants at exorbitant prices.
LEMON CRÈME BRÛLÉE
2 large lemons
3 cups heavy cream
10 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
6 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Makes 6 (6oz ramekins)
Adapted from Gourmet magazine
Preheat the oven to 325℉, make sure the rack is in the centre position.
Put the heavy cream in a small, heavy saucepan.
Grate the zest from the two lemons into the heavy cream.
Stir in 7 tablespoons of the turbinado sugar and a pinch of salt.
Heat the cream over low heat until almost boiling. Stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Lightly beat yolks in a bowl and gradually add the hot cream in a stream.
Pour custard through a strainer into a measuring jug for easier pouring.
Stir in vanilla and the teaspoon of lemon juice.
Divide among the ramekins.
Boil a kettle of water and arrange the ramekins in a big roasting tin.
Pour the boiling water into the tin around the ramekins so they can bake in a water bath.
Place the tin carefully into the oven and bake for 30/35 minutes.
The edges of the custards should be set but the centres still wobbly.
Cool custards in the water bath for 20 minutes and then remove and chill, uncovered,
at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the tops of the custard with the remaining turbinado sugar and using a small blow torch, caramelise the sugar.
Let the caramel harden for a few minutes before serving.
Since my blow torch was all out of propane, I used the broiler setting on my oven.
This way takes a bit longer and the result is a bit uneven but it works just fine and the
brûlées taste great.
I want to thank Minnie for allowing me to guest post for her, it’s been an honour visiting over here at her site and making new friends. I hope this recipe has inspired you to make this decadent dessert. Once you make it at home, the ones in restaurants will fail miserably in comparison.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the recipe and get a chance to try it. I hope you stop by and say “hi!” over at my site or on Facebook or even Twitter.
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