Creme Brulee

I planned on making Creme Brulee for Christmas dinner this year.  It has been a favorite of our family for years.  I looked on my blog, because I was sure I had posted it long ago. But to my surprise it wasn't here. I decided I better post it. I like having my blog because it enables me to have access to my favorite recipes wherever I happen to be (as long as I have internet access).  
Several years ago, Emma invited me to attend a charity event with her and Clark at LeCaille Restaurant.  It is a very nice restaurant, in a very quaint, beautiful setting.  I had never been there, so I was very excited to go.  Allan was out of town, so Charis went with me.  It was a lot of fun and the food was delicious.  The one thing on the menu that was most memorable for me was the Creme Brulee.  I had never had it before that night.  It was so good.  I decided I really wanted to learn to make it.
That year, for Christmas, Allan bought me some ramekins and a kitchen torch.  Allan loves the kitchen torch.  Every time I make Creme Brulee, he insists on torching the tops.  It really isn't that hard to make.  Just don't over bake it or it will be kind of rubbery instead of melt in your mouth smooth and creamy.
At LeCaille, they put just a smidge of raspberry jam on the bottom of the ramekin before they poured in the Creme Brulee.  It was a delicious surprise.


Vanilla Creme Brulee
6 large egg yolks
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengwise or 1 t. real vanilla extract (the vanilla bean is better)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 teaspoons granulated sugar (or 8-12 teaspoons packed brown sugar).

Preheat oven to 325
Whisk yolks and 6 Tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend.  Scrape in the seeds from vanilla bean. Gradually whisk the cream into the sugar and eggs.  Divide mixture among 6 - 3/4 cup custard cups or ramekins.  Arrange dishes in 13x9x2 inch baking pan.  Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.
Bake custared approximately 35-40 minutes until the custard is set.  Do not overbake or your custard will be rubbery.  Remove the pan from the oven and remove custard cups from the water.  Allow custards to cool before placing in the refrigerator.  Chill overnight. 
Two hours before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspon sugar on top of each custard, spread the sugar evenly.  using a kitchen torch, carefully carmelize the sugar on top.   Or, Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil unil sugar just start to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes. Sugar should be a pretty golden brown, not black. Chill until caramelized sugar hardens, about 2 hours.

Tangy Cream Cheese Croissants

Last month we went to Josh and Sarah in Maryland. They have a cute new baby boy and two other cute boys we were very anxious to see. Grandkids are the best! They live in a cute house in a beautiful part of the country. There is nothing quite like autumn in New England.

While we were there Sarah make ham and cheese sandwiches on Croissants. They had a delicious orange marmalade spread on them. I would never have thought to put these ingredients together, and if I had read the recipe, I don't think I ever would have made it because it sound so strange. But it was yummy. She used havarti cheese. Sarah said her mother had made it a few weeks earlier, when she was there when Benjamin was born.

Tangy Cream Cheese Croissants

8 oz cream cheese
4-6 oz apricot preserves
3-4 oz cool whip (small tub-use half of it)
ham slices cut in half
swiss or havarti or provalone cheese slices cut in half

Cream together cool whip, cream cheese and apricot preserve. Spread on croissants. Place ham and cheese in croissants.

Almond Tulips

Several years ago, my friends, Danette and Maryanne and I (and a few other people) took a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point. We learned to make several desserts that I have never made since (including cream puff swans). It was a lot of fun. I'd like to do it again sometime. We made gorgeous matching aprons to wear to the class. They were little cocktail dresses appliqued to a butcher apron. We were rather stunning. When the class was over we made our husbands matching cumber buns and bow ties. and had a dinner party.

These were one of the things we made in the class. They are delicious and make a bowl of ice cream a festive treat.

Almond Tulips

(Ice Cream Cookie Bowls)

2 cups egg whites (16-20 eggs)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 ½ cups sliced almonds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)

1 cup water (plus a little if needed)

Heat cookie sheet in oven at 325° for 20 minutes.

Mix butter and water together. Beat egg whites (don’t whip-you don’t want them airy). Add sugar and cream of tartar until stabilized (about 4 minutes). Add all other ingredients. Mix for 6 minutes on low speed (should be the consistency of thin cake batter).

Heavily spray hot pan with PAM. Ladle and spread batter to about 6 inch circles (about ⅓ cup). Bake for 20 minutes at 325° until outside edge is golden brown. Immediately remove from hot cookie sheet and form bowl by draping over an upside down cup until hard.