I have eaten a lot of Creme Brulee in my days. I spent some time in pastry school and we spent weeks perfecting the perfect recipes. Walt Disney world is a Creme Brulee epicenter of the world. Almost every dining location has there own version of this amazingly delicious dessert.
The Maple Creme Brulee has to be one of the best! It is a bowl of sweet soft maple goodness!! The burnt sugar topping adds a nice hit to the overly sweet custard. This is not just a fall or winter dessert this is wonderful all year round. And while making it at home will not put you in the center of an amazingly romantic stake house in the middle of the Canada Pavilion, it will make you fee if just for a moment you have transported someplace magical when you close your eyes and taste the hint of maple wrapped up in creamy amazing custard.
Maple Crème Brûlée
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons maple extract
12 teaspoons sugar for caramelized topping
6 ginger-flavored cookies
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups in large roasting pan. Combine cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly to dissolve sugar. When sugar is dissolved, stir every few minutes while the mixture is heating to avoid scalding.
When small bubbles appear around the edges, remove milk mixture from heat. Whisk egg yolks and maple extract together in a large bowl. Slowly add hot cream mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Divide among custard cups in pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake custards until center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Refrigerate until thoroughly cool.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with one custard at a time, hold kitchen torch so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes. (If you don’t have a kitchen torch, preheat broiler. Sieve 2 teaspoons brown sugar atop each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes, then chill until topping hardens, about 2 hours.) Top with a ginger-flavored cookie.