Description
Homemade blackberry crème brûlée delights dessert enthusiasts with its rich, creamy texture and caramelized sugar topping. French pastry techniques create an elegant, silky custard that promises a memorable culinary experience for guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups (280 g) blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 4 tbsps sugar (for topping)
- 1 pinch table salt
Instructions
- Blackberry Roasting: Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread blackberries on a baking sheet, dust with sugar, cardamom, and vanilla bean seeds. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring midway, then cool completely.
- Cream Preparation: Lower oven to 300°F. In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and steep for 15 minutes.
- Custard Mixing: Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually temper cream mixture into yolks, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Baking Setup: Place a kitchen towel in a large baking dish. Arrange ramekins on the towel. Boil water in a kettle. Pour custard evenly into ramekins.
- Water Bath Baking: Carefully place baking dish in the oven. Pour boiling water around ramekins, reaching two-thirds up their sides. Bake 30-35 minutes until centers are barely set but slightly jiggly.
- Cooling and Chilling: Transfer ramekins to a wire rack. Cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 4 days.
- Caramelization and Serving: Sprinkle granulated sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar until golden and crisp. Top with cardamom-roasted blackberries and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prevent Curdling: Temper egg yolks slowly by adding hot cream gradually and whisking continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Master Water Bath Technique: Use a kitchen towel to stabilize ramekins and maintain water level at two-thirds height for even, gentle baking.
- Achieve Perfect Custard Texture: Watch for subtle jiggle in the center when baking – it should be barely set but not liquid to ensure creamy consistency.
- Caramelization Pro Tip: Tilt ramekin when sprinkling sugar to create an even layer, and use a kitchen torch with steady motion for uniform golden-brown crackle.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 371
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 232 mg