Crème Brûlée for a Blogiversary! (Recipe + Update)

It's been a whole year! Time goes by so fast when your baking cupcakes. I've had so much fun sharing all of my baking with you and making new blogging friends, I just didn't know the year was going to end so quickly!

I wanted to make something different and special for you guys today, so I made some Crème Brûlée! It's not my favorite, I think because it tastes slightly egg-y, and I don't like eggs. :P But, everyone in my family loves it. It also gave me a chance to try out the blow torch I got for my birthday (thanks Dad). That's how you win people over, by giving them a blow torch.*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

First you have to combine the ingredients and bake them in a water bath, also known as a Bain-Marie. A Bain-Marie is often used for egg dishes. The proteins in the eggs are very heat sensitive and only need to be warmed to cook thoroughly, the water allows the heat to be distributed evenly among the dishes. Once they are cooked, the next step is chilling, it takes a good 2 hours. Then it's the fun part.

Torching it!!! If you don't have a blow torch you can place your Crème Brûlées in the oven just a few inches away from the broiler, cook them until the sugar browns and starts to bubble. The you can eat! When you smack your spoon into the hard sugar shell and it gives that satisfying crack, you know you made it perfectly! This is my favorite part of the Crème Brûlée, the salt in the custard and the burnt sugar make it take sort of like salted caramel! Now get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time.

Crème Brûlée

2 cups                               heavy cream
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp               sugar
2 tsp                                 vanilla
4 egg yolks
1 tsp                                  salt
sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Place about 3-4 ramekins in a pan. Gently heat cream along with half of the sugar and vanilla. Whisk gently. Meanwhile whisk egg yolks in a large mixing bowl along with salt and the rest of sugar. Temper the eggs: pour a small amount of the warm cream into the egg mixture and whisk. This prevents the eggs from curdling. Add a bit more and whisk together. Add the rest and combine fully. Strain through a sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout. Divide custard evenly among ramekins with a ladle or the spout. Pour water into the pan until halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, the center should giggle a bit when moved. Carefully remove the dishes from hot water filled pan. Place on rack to cool for  30 minutes. Then carefully cover each with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for about 2 hours. take out 15 minutes before serving and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on each one, torch about 2 inches away from custard, or broil 4 inches away from boiler. Enjoy!

~Happy Blogiversary!~

 Comments:

-You do not have to grease the ramekin, because you eat it out of the dish and you don't have to transfer it, like cakes.
-Any size dish will do, just make sure that if it's a shallower dish not to over cook it, if you do, it won't jiggle and will be rubbery.
-Don't hold your torch too close, or it will burn/catch on fire. Move it a circular motion around your Crème Brûlée, it should bubble slightly. 
-To evenly distribute the sugar shake the dish to spread it out. Big clumps of sugar cause flames. :S

Now that that's over with, to give my thanks to you for sticking around this year, I'm going to be holding a giveaway this week! Hooray! (Keep in mind, I don't have a job...)

Would you like to win a Bake it Pretty gift certificate worth $15?!

How to enter:

1. Describe in the comments below how you like to celebrate your birthday!
2. Become a fan/ like My Facebook Page.
3. Share this giveaway on your Facebook page.

Details:

The first one is mandatory all the others are optional. Each one is worth ONE entry, so if you do them all, you get entered THREE times. In your comment below describe which ones you did along with your mandatory one. Try not to leave more than one comment and don't leave your name as anonymous. In "Comment as:" scroll to Name/URL. (Please!)
This is very important: Leave your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you win. Anyone can enter!
 Have fun! The winner's name will be picked out of a hat, I hope you trust me enough to do so. ;) The giveaway will close on Tuesday February 5th! I hope you are chosen!

And the winner is...

 

Congratulations Ilan! You've won a Bake It Pretty gift certificate worth $15!

Thank you to everyone that entered! And Ilan, I will email you your gift certificate!
 Shelan Boake out! XD