Description
French coffee crème brûlée celebrates rich espresso notes in a classic dessert. Caramelized sugar crust and creamy custard create a luxurious finale for coffee enthusiasts you will savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- 5 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar (for topping)
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tbsp Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- hot water (for water bath)
Instructions
- Preparation Setup: Position ramekins inside a 9×9 baking pan, center the oven rack at 300°F (150°C), and simultaneously bring a kettle of water to a boil.
- Cream Infusion: Gently heat cream with sugar and salt in a saucepan until sugar dissolves completely, creating a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- Custard Base: Whisk egg yolks vigorously, then gradually introduce warm cream while continuously whisking to prevent curdling, ensuring a silky custard foundation.
- Coffee Enhancement: Dissolve instant espresso powder in Kahlua, creating an intense coffee essence. Blend into the cream mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve for impeccable smoothness.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute custard across ramekins, pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches midway up the ramekin sides, then bake for 30-40 minutes until custards set with a subtle center wobble.
- Cooling and Chilling: Remove ramekins from the water bath, cool completely on a wire rack for 4 hours, then refrigerate covered for a minimum of 2 hours to develop maximum flavor and achieve optimal chilling.
- Caramelization Finale: Just before serving, dust each custard generously with sugar, tilting to create an even layer. Use a kitchen torch to transform the sugar into a crisp, golden-brown crust, ensuring an immediate serve to maintain the delightful contrast between crackling caramel and creamy custard.
Notes
- Prevent Curdling: Slowly add warm cream to egg yolks while constantly whisking to avoid scrambling and maintain smooth texture.
- Water Bath Precision: Use boiling water that reaches halfway up ramekin sides for even, gentle heat distribution during baking.
- Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to develop deep flavors and ensure proper custard consistency.
- Caramelization Technique: Evenly dust sugar and use kitchen torch at close range, moving constantly to create a uniform golden-brown caramel crust without burning.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Drinks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 21 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 211 mg