Candy Cane Crème Brûlée
Candy Cane Crème Brûlée is a fun peppermint twist on the classic French dessert. All of the traditional rich creaminess, with a delicate peppermint flavor, colorful red & white swirled cream, and a caramelized candy cane brûlée topping.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- red food coloring gel
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes approximately 3 full-size candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Set a kettle of water to boil for use in step #8.
- In a medium saucepan, heat cream and salt over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
- Slowly pour half of the cream mixture into the egg mixture, quickly whisking until blended. Pour in the remaining half of the cream mixture, while continuously whisking until fully blended.
- Reserve ½ cup of the custard mixture in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Divide the remaining custard mixture evenly into four 6-ounce ramekins.
- Add a small amount of red food coloring gel to the reserved ½ cup of the custard mixture until the desired shade of pink/red is reached. Gently pour 2 tablespoons of the red mixture in a spiral pattern on top of each uncolored custard. Use a toothpick to create a red & cream swirled design.
- Place ramekins in a large baking dish. Carefully pour boiling water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until the centers are barely set. They will still jiggle slightly when shaken. (Wide ramekins with a thin layer of custard will cook faster than smaller ramekins with a thick layer of custard.) Cool completely to room temperature. Then, chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, top each custard with approximately 1 tablespoon of crushed candy canes. Use a cooking torch to melt the candy canes and form a crispy top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Crush candy canes in a heavy-duty blender, food processor, or with a mallet in a Ziplock bag.
Broiler Method (in lieu of a cooking torch): broil 2-3 inches from the heat source for approximately 5-6 minutes until the crushed candy canes melt. Keep a close eye on the crème brûlée while under the broiler, rotating every minute or so.
Nutrition
Calories: 578kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 377mgSodium: 116mgPotassium: 140mgSugar: 29gVitamin A: 2074IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 1mg
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