Ken and Amber came through for me on this recipe, Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. I have been fighting a cold for the past few days and have been a bit under the weather. Ken is the master Creme Brulee maker anyway, he has always made it. This is Amber’s favorite dessert! If it is on a menu she orders it 100% of the time. So when Ken was making this wonderful dessert, Amber happily jumped in to help.
The theme this week for #SundaySupper is Beantastic and hosted by the lovely Tammi of Momma’s Meals. We love beans here but the second I saw that you could use Vanilla Bean as one of the options I went to the sweet side and landed on this Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Rich, creamy, decadent, with that over-the-top crunchy sugar topping. It looks so difficult to make, but is it?
No, it is very simple to make and just requires the right tools and something that you may not be familiar with, a hot water bath. Which is just water surrounding the containers while it cooks in the oven. The creamy filling is simple to make, it is a pudding that cooks in the oven.
The sugary topping is simple also, you just need a blow torch, grill lighter, or a broiler. The Kitchn explains all three methods. The one that has been used in our home has been the blow torch exclusively. Alton Brown in his recipe, gives some very wise Propane Gas Torch Safety HERE! This was the recipe we also adapted from.
I love the pretty little flecks of vanilla bean in the deliciously creamy custard!!
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar divided
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 quart hot water
Instructions
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla, vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 min. to cool and infuse. Remove the vanilla bean and discard.
- Preheat oven to 325 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue to whisk until eggs are light in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring now with a wooden spoon continuously. Pour the liquid into four shallow ramekins and place on a rimmed cookie sheet. Pour 1 quart or more of hot water into the pan and allow it to come up to half way up the ramekin. Bake for 40 to 45 min. or until the creme brulee is set, it should still be wobbly in the center. Remove the ramekins and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve, 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, remove ramekins from refrigerator 30 min. prior. Cover the tops of the brulee with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Light a torch, with the flame not too close melt the sugar to form a hard crust on top. Let cool for 5 min. before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown.
Now onto some serious bean dishes!! I can’t wait to see them all!
Beantastic Beginners:
- Avocado Hummus by Our Good Life
- Bean Ragoût and Crisped Mushrooms by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Black Bean Chili Nachos by Brunch with Joy
- Chickpea Fries (Panisse) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Five Layer Greek Hummus Dip by Food Done Light
- Pizza Roasted Chickpeas by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- White Bean and Basil Spread by Peaceful Cooking
Bean-a-rific Soups and Stews:
- Butternut Squash White Bean Soup by Magnolia Days
- Classic Cassoulet by Food Lust People Love
- Navy Bean & Kale Soup by An Appealing Plan
- Slow Cooker Pork and Bean Stew by Nosh My Way
- Kielbasa and White Bean Soup by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Spicy Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Bean-a-licious Sides:
- Bean and Cornbread Salad by MealDiva
- Clams with Black Beans by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Gold Rush Baked Beans by Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Maple Brown Sugar Baked Beans by Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen
- Pinto Beans With Cornbread Croutons by Nik Snacks
- Whiskey Bacon Baked Beans by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Incredi-bean Main Meals:
- Bean and Bacon Tacos by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Beefy Lima Bean Casserole by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Colombian Red beans – Frisoles Antioquenos by Palatable Pastime
- Honey-Lime Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos by The Chunky Chef
- One Pot Tuscan Style Garlic Herb Pork Chops by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Skillet Black Beans and Pork by Cooking Chat
- Ultimate Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by Pancake Warriors
- White Bean Ragout, Frisèe, and a Fried Egg by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Amaze-beans Sweet Endings:
- Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Bark by Love and Confections
- Flourless Almond Joy Cookie Dough Ball by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies by Wallflour Girl
- Soy Awesome Cookies 2.0 by What Smells So Good?
- Strawberry Coco-Cacao Bean Smoothie by Dandelion Greens
- Sweet Bean Pie by Shockingly Delicious
- Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee by Noshing With The Nolands
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Comments & Reviews
Angela says
I love creme brûlée but haven’t tried making it…. yours looks absolutely perfect Tara!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
A beautiful and elegant dessert!
cathy says
Tara — I never thought of vanilla as a bean, but you’re absolutely right. And creme brulee is my favorite all time dessert
Angela says
I love creme brûlée but haven’t tried making it…. yours looks absolutely perfect Tara!
Amanda says
I’ve never made creme brulee before, but I’m definitely inspired to give it a go after seeing this post! Great recipe and gorgeous photos 🙂
Kimberly says
So, yeah … creme brulee is my favorite dessert ever, and I would totally kill for a dish of yours right now! It looks perfect!
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Beautiful, Tara!
Valerie Cathell Clark says
Every time I look at your photos of this beautiful dessert, my mouth waters! It’s a favorite and I’ll bet it’s extra delicious using fresh vanilla bean! YUM!
Diana @DandelionGreensBlog says
I love those little vanilla bean flecks too! And what a beautiful display of one of my favorite deserts!
Sue Lau says
Looks sinfully good!
The Ninja Baker says
Yes, creme brûlée is fairly easy to make…It’s just that mastering the blow torch thing…Still, I’m inspiring by your delectable dessert to give it another go!
Laura Dembowski says
How did I not think of vanilla bean??? My mind lately. This creme brulee looks gorgeous!
Marlene @Nosh My Way says
I love your bean choice and love your brulee. I tried to brulee once but wasn’t very successful. Now I will try your recipes
[email protected] says
Looks so dreamy good Tara!
Tara Noland says
Thanks Nancy!!
Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
What an absolutely perfect creme brulee! And your photos are stunning!
Tara Noland says
Thank you so much Linda!
Renee says
This is one of my husband’s favorite desserts. He always orders it if he sees it on a menu. I do need to make it for him sometime and even use his blowtorch to make the top.
Tara Noland says
It really is delicious, thanks Renee!
Jen says
Now that’s an amazingly beantastic dessert! Wow!
Valerie Cathell Clark says
Every time I look at your photos of this beautiful dessert, my mouth waters! It’s a favorite and I’ll bet it’s extra delicious using fresh vanilla bean! YUM!
Liz says
Brilliant use of beans here!!! One of our favorite desserts!
Tara Noland says
Thank you Liz!
Anymous says
This is me and my moms favorite dessert too!
Tara Noland says
My daughter’s number one too!
Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
What an absolutely perfect creme brulee! And your photos are stunning!