Lavender Creme Brulee Recipes

Steps:

• To make the custard: Add the cream, lavender, vanilla, and salt to a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan set over moderate heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or whisk. When the mixture begins to simmer (tiny bubbles will form around the edge of the pan), remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the flavor of the lavender to steep into the cream. Or, to extract the maximum flavor, cool the mixture to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack in the center position. Reheat the infused cream to a bare simmer, stirring once or twice. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and slightly thickened. Pour in the hot cream, whisking to mix completely. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or spouted pitcher, and skim off any bubbles.
• Fill six 8-ounce ramekins or brûlée dishes almost to the top with the custard, and place them in a shallow roasting pan or heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, so that the edges are not touching. Add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes (depending on the density of the ramekin or dish), or until the custards are set up and the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, uncovered, to cool completely.
• To make the topping: At least 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the top of each custard with a generous amount of sugar. Using a kitchen blowtorch (available from a hardware or kitchenware store), melt the sugar by moving the flame slowly back and forth over the surface until the sugar bubbles and has liquefied. Return the brûlée to the refrigerator to allow the topping to harden (about 15 minutes).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat cream in a pot to just below boiling. Add lavender oil and remove from heat.
• In a bowl, cream eggs and 1/4 cup sugar with a fork. Try to avoid incorporating any air into the mixture.
• SLOWLY pour cream into egg while continuing to mix with the fork. Again, avoid incorporating air. If you pour too quickly the cream will cook the egg instead of mixing with it.
• Pour mixture into 4 ramekins and place into a water bath: put ramekins into a baking dish and add water to the baking dish so that it comes up the sides of the ramekins to the same height as the custard. Don't get any water into the ramekins!
• Carefully place baking dish in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes. Actual time will depend on the geometry of your ramekins - shorter and wider bakes more quickly than taller, more compact ramekins. Custard is done with it is set, but still jiggly in the middle.
• Carefully remove from oven (don't splash water onto the custards) and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours (but not more than a day or so).
• Immediately before serving, cover each custard with about half a tablespoon of sugar and caramelize with a torch. You can attempt to caramelize the sugar in your oven's broiler, but it's hard to control this way and you end up with some burned patches.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF. Place 4 (6 oz.) ramekins in a shallow roasting pan.
• Place whipping cream and lavender in medium saucepan; bring to a low boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minute.
• Strain into a small bowl, pressing against lavender in strainer with back of a spoon to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard lavender.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Slowly whisk in sugar.
• Whisk in strained cream and vanilla. Pour into dishes and place in oven. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.
• Bake 40-45 minute Remove from roasting pan with tongs and cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
• Before serving, heat broiler. Place dishes in same roasting pan. Press brown sugar through strainer over custards to evenly cover. Broil 4-6 inches from heat for 1-2 min or until sugar melts. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
• NOTE: If using a mini blowtorch to caramelize sugar, use 2-3 teaspoons white sugar to coat tops of each custard instead of brown sugar.