Orchard News and Chews

Basic Crème Brûlée with Rhubarb

Posted on June 11, 2019

I wasn’t planning to post another rhubarb recipe this spring but you asked, so here it is! I made this delicacy to reward my son-in-law for getting our weed-eater working again and to use up a litre of leftover cream that was patiently waiting in the fridge after our Martin camping was over. And really, in my books at least, one can never have enough rhubarb. After all, it won’t be back until NEXT YEAR.

This is a basic crème brûlée recipe that I have used numerous times with success. I have made it plain, with blackberries, with chai tea and pears, with pumpkin, and with raspberries. I plan to try peaches during peach season. By the way, I’m quite proud of myself for figuring out how to create the French accent marks on my desktop. Not bad for a middle-aged fogey, huh? I figure such an elegant French dessert should be spelled with the proper accent marks.

Ready for the topping

Sugared

Torched!

And…dig in!

I can’t recall when or where I had my first crème brùlée, but I was immediately hooked. I was entranced by the silky vanilla custard under the glassy sugar shell, and the satisfaction of cracking that shell before dipping my spoon into it. It is the perfect dessert after a full dinner, when you want a smidgeon of something sweet but not too much heaviness. I didn’t attempt to make it until a few years ago. I’m not sure why, other than it seems like one of those ethereal delicacies far beyond the reach of common mortals, that only a master chef can execute. Let me tell you, it ain’t so. ANYONE can make it. The only thing is that you have to figure out what to make with all those egg whites afterwards. I freeze them for my next pavlova (yes! strawberry pavlova), meringue kisses, daffodil or chocolate angel food cake, or strawberry/raspberry freeze. See? No problem.

The three most valuable tips I can offer are to heat the cream just until steaming and starting to foam around the edges when stirred, whisk some hot cream into the eggs to temper them before combining the whole concoction, and to make sure your water is boiling hot that you use to bake them in. That’s it! Oh, and try not to burn your sugar. You can do this.

Big leafy rhubarb plants are easy to spot. They are often in a corner or at the edge of a garden. They come in red and pink varieties. Typically the redder stalks are thinner and a little more dry, but they look beautiful in the food they are gracing. Take your pick! 

This post is sponsored by Martin’s Family Fruit Farm where you can find these beautiful pink stalks until the weather gets too hot. The comments are my own. 

Basic Crème Brûlée with Rhubarb

• Servings: 6
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup finely diced rhubarb
• additional white sugar for tops

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Place 6 ramekins in a 13″ x 9″ baking pan, preferably glass. Divide the rhubarb among the bottom of the ramekins; approximately 1 tablespoon into each. Set water to boil for water bath. Heat cream on medium-high heat just until it starts steaming and small bubbles form at the edges. Separate the yolks from the whites and put them into a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously with first amount of white sugar until they are a lighter yellow in colour and beginning to thicken. This step can be done with a mixer, if you prefer. Very slowly add about 1/2 cup of the cream to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. This is called tempering the eggs so that they won’t curdle. Add the vanilla, salt, and remaining cream and whisk again to combine thoroughly. Pour the egg and cream mixture into each ramekin evenly. Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour the very hot water into the pan to about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the cups. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is set, but with a slight jiggle in the middle when lightly moved. This time will vary depending on your oven and the size of your ramekins. 

Remove pan from the oven and lift the ramekins out of the hot water (a jar lifter works really well for this step). Cool for an hour on a wire rack, then chill in the fridge for 3 hours. At this point, they can be chilled for at least 3 days or frozen for a longer time. Thaw if frozen before adding the sugar topping. 

When ready to serve, sprinkle a scant tablespoon of white sugar evenly on top of each ramekin. Place them 6″ under the broiler element in your oven until browning and bubbly, then remove quickly. Don’t let them get too dark; they will continue to bubble and brown after removal from the oven. If you are lucky enough to own a kitchen torch you can do this step with it, working from the outside in a circular motion. Let them sit for about 3 minutes until the sugar is hardened. Garnish with a fresh strawberry if you wish. Enjoy the crack and the hums of delight as your guests dig in. 

NOTE: Try experimenting with your own flavour combinations. For fruit variations, simply put a little of it (3 small blackberries, for instance) into the bottom of the ramekins before pouring in the custard. For tea or chocolate flavours, place 1/2 Tbsp. tea leaves (inside a tea ball) or 1 teabag or 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate in with the cream as it heats.