YumSugar

Come Party With Me: Bold Flavorful Thanksgiving - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:15:15 -0800

I'm a fan of trying out new recipes on Thanksgiving, but I always like to serve some sort of pumpkin dessert. It doesn't matter if it's pie, cookies, or ice cream - as long as it's pumpkiny. To finish a meal that is full of vibrant colors and bold flavors, I would offer guests a spirited twist on the classic crème brûlée. Pumpkin puree and brown sugar make this smooth and creamy treat perfect for turkey day.

Crème brûlée is also great because you can get people up and moving after the big meal: invite everyone to sugar and blow torch their own crème brûlée! To get this recipe, which can be prepared in advance, read more.

Pumpkin and Brown-Sugar Crème Brûlée
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups heavy whipping cream
8 tablespoons raw sugar or golden brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk pumpkin, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla, then spices and salt.
Bring cream just to boil in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into pumpkin mixture.
Divide mixture among eight 5x1-inch ramekins. Divide ramekins between 2 large roasting pans. Add enough hot water to pans to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35 minutes. Chill custards until cold, about 6 hours. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon raw sugar over pumpkin custard in each ramekin. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar until deep amber. Alternatively, use broiler. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar [not raw sugar] and melt directly under broiler until deep amber. Refrigerate 15 minutes to allow sugar to harden. Can be made 1 hour ahead. Keep chilled.

Serves 8.

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Let's Dish: What Foods Are You Sick Of?

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:00:36 -0800

On last Wednesday's season finale of Top Chef, guest judge Rocco DiSpirito declared that he was sick of eating foie gras.

Although, I have to side with fellow judge Branford Marsalis, who claimed he "could eat foie gras all day," I can completely relate to Rocco when it comes to being tired of certain foods.

Personally, I'm weary of seeing nothing but crème brûlée, sorbet trios, and flourless chocolate cakes on dessert menus.

What dishes are you completely over?

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Come Party With Me: Movie Club Meeting - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:00:23 -0700

For my movie club meeting, I've planned a corn tasting menu. Each of the dishes feature corn as an ingredient. Since sweet corn is available, the dessert will be no different.

Made with pureed corn, this creme brulee recipe is silky and delicious. Guests will be awed by the creamy texture and subtle corn flavor.

If you have time, make a batch of caramel corn clusters. Fill plastic favor bags with the clusters and give to friends as they leave. To look at these corny dessert recipes, read more.

Corn Creme Brulee
From Gale Gand

Ingredients

2 ears sweet corn
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
8 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coarse sugar or raw sugar

Directions

Remove the husk from the ears of corn and cut the kernels off.
In a nonstick saute pan melt the butter and saute the corn kernels until they cook and have a few brown specks on them.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and half the sauteed corn kernels over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until it comes to a boil.
Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse at least 15 minutes.
Puree the mixture with a hand blender until smooth.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in the hot cream mixture. Strain the mixture into a pitcher.
Sprinkle the remaining corn kernels into 8 (6 to 8 ounce) ovenproof ramekins.
Pour the cream/corn mixture into the bowls and arrange in a hot water bath.
Bake at 300 degrees F, in the center of the oven until almost set but still a bit soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. The custard should "shimmy" a bit when you shake the pan; it will firm up more as it cools. Remove from the water bath and let cool 15 minutes. Tightly cover each bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic does not touch the surface of the custard. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
Preheat a broiler to very hot (or fire up your kitchen torch). Uncover the chilled custards. Pour as much sugar as will fit onto the top of one of the custards. Pour off the excess sugar onto the next custard. Repeat until all the custards are coated. Discard any remaining sugar.
Place the bowls on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and broil until the sugar is melted and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Or brown them with a blowtorch. Let cool 1 minute before serving.

Serves 8.

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Caramel Corn Clusters
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
11/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup salted peanuts (5 oz)
Special equipment: a candy thermometer

Directions

Heat oil with 3 kernels in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, over moderate heat until 1 or 2 kernels pop.
Remove lid and quickly add remaining kernels, then cook, covered, shaking pan frequently, until kernels stop popping, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and uncover.
Line bottom of a large shallow baking pan with foil. Lightly oil foil.
Melt butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, then boil, without stirring, until syrup registers 300°F on thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Using a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula, stir salt and baking soda into syrup, then quickly stir in peanuts and popcorn to coat. Immediately spread mixture in baking pan as thinly and evenly as possible.
Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.

Makes 12 cups.

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A Delicious Dessert Without All the Fat

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:15:18 -0700

Rarely do I find a recipe whose ingredient list calls for reduced- or nonfat milk. I've always thought for the best results - especially when it comes to desserts - whole-fat milk should be used. However, when I saw this recipe for a rich, creamy, decadent crème brulee - that's made with 2 percent milk, I knew I had to give it a try. The process is simple, but takes some time because the vanilla bean steeps in the milk. To look at the recipe, a great one from MyRecipes.com, read more.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
Dash of salt

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat mixture over medium heat to 180°F or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil), stirring occasionally.
Remove milk mixture from heat. Cover and steep 30 minutes.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk mixture; reserve bean for another use.
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Gradually add milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
Divide the mixture evenly among 4 (4-ounce) ramekins, custard cups, or shallow baking dishes. Place ramekins in a 13-x-9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch.
Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes or until center barely moves when ramekin is touched. Remove ramekins from the pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Sift 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over each custard. Holding a kitchen blow torch about 2 inches from the top of each custard, heat the sugar, moving the torch back and forth, until sugar is completely melted and caramelized (about 1 minute). Serve crème brûlée immediately or within 1 hour. If you don't have a kitchen blow torch, you can make the sugar topping on the stovetop. Place 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes or until golden. (Resist the urge to stir, since doing so may cause the sugar to crystallize.) Immediately pour the sugar mixture evenly over cold custards, spreading to form a thin layer.

Serves 4 (serving size: 1 crème brûlée).

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 262(26% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 3.1g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 11g; CHOLESTEROL 224mg; CALCIUM 328mg; SODIUM 177mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.8g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories
- Entertaining Menus and Party Ideas
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Dessert Recipes

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Yummy Links: From Creme Brulee to Avocado Ice Cream

partysugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:00:24 -0700

Learn how to make a perfectly caramelized creme brulee top. Then invite friends over for a creme brulee making party! - The Kitchn
Take a behind the scenes look at the upcoming Julia and Julia film. - Serious Eats
Before planning what type of margaritas you'll serve on Cinco de Mayo, brush up on your tequila knowledge. - Slashfood
If your wedding is fido-friendly, be sure to know the difference between wedding cookies for dogs and wedding cookies for people. - PetSugar
Wondering what it's like to eat while in the army? Listen to this interesting podcast that describes - among other things - a replica of Starbucks that's open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. - Crispy on the Outside
Is there really a food crisis? The Daily Show hilariously investigates. - Eater SF
This avocado ice cream looks like a luscious ending to a spicy Mexican feast. - Mac & Cheese

TV Dinners: Amélie - Crème Brûlée

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:28:31 -0800

When PartySugar told me she was planning a movie night party based around French films, I was thrilled to see what she came up with. She's put together an amazing meal consisting of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, French martinis, and chocolate soufflés, but there's one little thing she's forgotten: the crème brûlée! Whenever I see the film Amélie, the scene where she cracks the crème brûlée gets me every time. It's such an amazing sound and the scene is so adorable.

To enjoy the sound in your own home, print out the recipe for a delicious ginger-vanilla crème brûlée. Or satiate your sound craving with a video clip of Amélie enjoying one. You can get both of those things when you read more.

Note: The créme brulée scene appears at 2:25. Keep scrolling down for the recipe!

To make this a classic crème brûlée, simply omit the fresh ginger.

Ginger and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
From Bon Appétit, February 1999

For Custard
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brûlée
12 tsp. sugar
Sliced tropical fruit (such as mango, papaya and/or kiwi)

Make Custard:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes in each of two 13-x-9 x-2-in. baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar, and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Make Crème Brûlée:

Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold culinary blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.

** Note: If you don't have access to a culinary blowtorch, you can place the custard dishes on a small baking sheet and broil until sugar begins to caramelize (about 2 minutes) - rotate sheet for even browning.

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Summer Of Sandwiches: Coconut Macaroon & Creme Brulee

partysugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:13:33 -0700

Sadly, the end of summer is this weekend. With its finish comes the conclusion of our 14 week series on ice cream sandwiches. For my last batch of sandwiches, I focused on the perfect pairing of cookie and ice cream flavors. I was a little disappointed in the overpowering peanut butter taste of my last ice cream sandwiches, so I found myself spending quite some time debating in the grocery store. First I picked out the chewy perfectly sized coconut macaroons. Next, after much time staring into the freezers, I decided on the custardy creme brulee ice cream.

Eureka! The pairing was sheer sweetness! To see how I made this super easy and delicious dessert, read more

Coconut Macaroon & Creme Brulee Ice Cream Sandwiches
Created by PartySugar

8 small coconut macaroons
1/2-1 cup Creme Brulee ice cream (suggested: Ben & Jerry's)

Place cookies in pairs on a plate or cookie sheet top side down.
Top one cookie with a heaping tablespoon of ice cream. Place its pair on top of the ice cream and press down gently.
Quickly put the sandwiches in the freezer to prevent melting. Freeze for an hour or until firm. Enjoy!

Makes 8 sandwiches.

View 10 Photos ›

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Main & Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:03:35 -0700

When planning a dinner party, look for simpler recipes that can be made in advance. After the tropical chicken skewer and vegetable spring roll appetizers, invite guests to join you at the table. A macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi bakes in the oven while its sauce waits warm on the stove. Place the sauce in a gravy bowl or small pitcher so guests can serve themselves at the table. Coconut rice will pair nicely on the side.

After dinner gather the guests back in your kitchen and let them caramelize the sugar on their very own Tahitian vanilla creme brulees! Take a look at these tempting tropical recipes, just read more

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
From David Highlander
Image Source

2-1/2 ounces macadamia nuts
5 ounces plain bread crumbs
8 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
5 ounces butter
2-1/2 ounces shallots, diced
5-1/3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces pineapple, rough chopped
3-1/2 ounces papaya, rough chopped
1/4 pound mango, rough chopped
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon shredded coconut
2-3/4 habanero peppers, seeded
salt and pepper to taste
white sugar to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a food processor or blender, pulse together macadamia nuts and breadcrumbs until finely ground. Pour nut mixture onto a plate, and coat fish fillets on both sides.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry fillets on both sides until nuts are golden brown. Remove to a baking pan.
Add shallots to skillet, and cook until translucent. Stir in chicken stock. Mix in pineapple, papaya, mango, coconut, and habanero peppers. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Simmer until sauce is thick, about 30 minutes. Strain to remove peppers, fruit, and shallots. Reserve sauce in a pan over low heat.
Bake mahi mahi in preheated oven about 10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove fish, and lightly coat with sauce.

Serves 8.

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Creamy Coconut Rice
From Seasoned Poineer

24fl oz Coconut Milk
1lb 4oz Rice (Ideally Jasmine)
Salt, Two pinches
2 tsp Sugar,
20fl oz Water
10 Cardamom Pods, Green

Heat the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves.
Mix in the rice and cadamom pods. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat, then simmer for 20 minutes untl the rice is cooked (addng a bit more water if required).

Serves 8.

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Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee
From Ming Tsai

1 cup half-and half
1 vanilla bean, preferably Tahitian
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg plus 8 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
4 tablespoons superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 F.
In a small saucepan, combine the half-and-half, vanilla bean, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat just until scalded; do not allow the mixture to boil.
Fill a large bowl with water and add ice.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, egg yolks, and granulated sugar and mix. Gradually stir in the scalded half-and-half mixture and place the smaller bowl in the bowl of ice water to cool completely. Stir in the heavy cream and divide among eight 4-ounce ramekins.
Place in a baking dish just large enough to hold them and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set but still quivers in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water and refrigerate to cool completely.
Preheat the broiler, if using.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar on top of each custard, spread over the surface, and tap out any excess. Place the ramekins on a broiling tray and broil until the top is melted and caramelized, about 30 seconds. Watch carefully; the sugar can burn easily. If using a torch pass the flame about 2 inches over the surface of the custards until the sugar is completely caramelized. Serve while still warm.

Serves 8.

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Love Is The Sound of a Spoon on Creme Brulee

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:03:38 -0700

One of the best sounds in the world is the lovely crack that happens when your spoon breaks through the top of a creme brulee. The caramelized sugar crust gives way to a luscious creamy custard and the lovely sound means that an amazing dessert is awaiting you. Since today is National Creme Brulee Day, I think we should all head into the kitchen and make one of our very own. It takes some specialty equipment (like a culinary blowtorch), but it's definitely worth it. To check out the recipe, read more

To make this a classic crème brûlée, simply omit the fresh ginger.

Ginger and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
From Bon Appétit, February 1999

For Custard
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brûlée
12 tsp. sugar
Sliced tropical fruit (such as mango, papaya and/or kiwi)

Make Custard:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes in each of two 13-x-9 x-2-in. baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar, and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Make Crème Brûlée:

Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold culinary blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.

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Reader's Recipes: Creme Brulee French Toast

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:01:21 -0800

You guys are doing a fantastic job of posting your recipes. I went to look for a recipe that caught my eye and ended up spending over two hours drooling at all your posts! And, to make things worse, there were so many great sounding recipes that I had the most difficult time deciding on a recipe to highlight. Eventually I realized that I was craving breakfast, and so I decided on a Delicious Creme Brulee French Toast. Submitted by ashleyk4214, this french toast uses Challah bread and Grand Marnier. Sounds like my kind of delectable treat! To check out her recipe, read more

Recipe submitted by: ashleyk4214's

Creme Brulee French Toast pictureThis recipe is so delicious, I served it to my family on Christmas morning this past year and it was a big hit. I didn't use the Gran Marnier that time, but I'm sure the addition of that would be great too! It makes around 8 servings, so if you have a large group coming, I would recommend making 2 or making an accompanying dish to go with it. Something with eggs and sausage would be great.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons corn syrup
1 (8 to 9) inch round loaf Challah bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Cut 6 (1-inch) thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit. In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

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