The addition of a little coffee makes this rich, creamy dessert rather special. Measure the coffee carefully, as the flavor should be subtle. Any shape of ramekin will set off these brûlées perfectly.
Serves 6
Special equipment
Six 5 fl oz (150ml) ramekins; cook’s mini-blowtorch (see box)
butter, for greasing
4 large egg yolks
3 tbsp (45g) granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
11⁄4 cups (300 ml) half and half
11⁄4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
21⁄2 tsp instant coffee granules
1⁄4 cup (50 g) turbinado sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Lightly grease the ramekins with butter. Break the egg yolks into a large bowl, add in the granulated sugar and vanilla, and beat with a wire whisk to combine.
2. Put the half and half and cream in a medium pan and heat until scalding. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee until it dissolves, then let the mixture cool slightly for about 2 minutes. Pour the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture and stir thoroughly to combine. Strain the custard and pour it into the prepared ramekins. (See Make a silky-smooth custard.)
3. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, then remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and let cool. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or up to 2 days ahead). (See Gently cook and chill the custards.)
4. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the tops of the custards. Use the blowtorch to caramelize the sugar, being careful not to burn it. (See Make a crunchy brûlée topping.) Serve as soon as the caramel has cooled and become brittle.
CAPPUCCINO CRÈME BRÛLÉE
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Make a silky-smooth custard
1 When heating the cream, make sure you take it off the heat just before it comes to a boil, at the point when you can see small bubbles appearing around the edge of the pan. Add the slightly cooled cream and coffee mixture to the egg yolks in a steady stream, beating all the time with a wire whisk.
2 For an ultra-smooth texture, strain the custard into a heatproof liquid measuring cup before carefully pouring it into the greased ramekins, distributing the mixture equally.
Gently cook and chill the custards
1 Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the dishes. The water bath ensures that the egg mixture cooks gently and is less likely to curdle.
2 The custards should have a slight wobble when removed from the oven. If overcooked, they will become too firm and air bubbles will develop, which will spoil the texture. Cool the custards completely before covering and putting in the fridge. If still warm when covered, the tops will get speckled with drops of condensation.
Make a crunchy brûlée topping
1 Sprinkle demerara sugar over the custards, to a thickness of about 1⁄8in (3mm). Make sure that you cover the custard evenly, using the back of a teaspoon to pat the sugar down over the surface. I prefer to use turbinado sugar for the topping, as I find that it gives a much tastier, crunchier caramel topping than white sugar.
2 Light the blowtorch and, holding it a few inches above the sugar, keep it moving continuously in a circular motion. As soon as the sugar melts and turns golden brown in one area, move it to another immediately. Do not leave the blowtorch over one particular area for too long, or the sugar will burn.
3 The melted sugar cools quite quickly and becomes brittle. Serve soon after being caramelized. If left to stand for too long after using the blowtorch, the caramel begins to dissolve to the point where it will start to turn to liquid. The brûlée can be cracked open with a teaspoon.
It’s best to use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar, as broiling is slightly slower and can start to overcook the softly set custard. However, if you don’t have a blowtorch, you can use a preheated, very hot broiler instead. Put the ramekins as close to the broiler as possible and broil for about 5 minutes. After broiling, chill the brûlées for 2–3 hours before serving, so the caramel can soften slightly: this makes it easier to crack when eating (it is not necessary if you’ve used a blowtorch).