Description
Indulgent Blackberry Crème Brûlée brings French elegance to dessert lovers’ tables. Silky custard meets caramelized sugar and fresh blackberries, creating a luxurious symphony of creamy texture and rich flavor that promises pure dessert bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
Flavoring Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for topping)
- ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 pinch table salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius) for roasting the blackberries.
- Scatter fresh blackberries on a rimmed baking sheet and generously coat with granulated sugar, ground cardamom, and scraped vanilla bean seeds.
- Roast the blackberries for 20 minutes, carefully stirring midway through the cooking process to ensure even caramelization. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius) and position the rack in the lower-middle section.
- In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Introduce the vanilla bean seeds and pod, bringing the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat while stirring intermittently.
- Remove the cream mixture from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld completely.
- Place a clean white kitchen towel inside a large baking dish and arrange four 4 to 5-ounce ramekins on top of the towel.
- Simultaneously, heat a kettle of water to boiling point.
- Temper the cream mixture by stirring in the remaining cream to reduce its temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks until they are thoroughly combined and slightly broken down.
- Gradually incorporate the cream mixture into the egg yolks, adding about at a time and whisking continuously to prevent curdling.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, discarding any solids.
- Distribute the custard evenly among the ramekins, ensuring uniform filling.
- Carefully place the baking dish with ramekins into the oven and pour boiling water around them, maintaining water level at two-thirds the height of the ramekins.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the custard centers are barely set but still slightly jiggly.
- Transfer ramekins to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- Cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 4 days.
- Before serving, sprinkle approximately of granulated sugar over each custard, tilting to ensure even coverage.
- Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it turns golden brown and crisp.
- Garnish each crème brûlée with the prepared cardamom-roasted blackberries and serve immediately.
Notes
- Vanilla Bean Magic: Scraping seeds directly from the pod releases intense, aromatic flavor that elevates the entire dessert’s richness.
- Precise Temperature Control: Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure perfect custard texture, avoiding overcooked or curdled cream.
- Water Bath Technique: The towel-lined baking dish and gentle water bath prevent direct heat, creating silky-smooth custard without cracking.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Crème brûlée can be prepared up to 4 days in advance, making it ideal for entertaining or advance meal planning.
- Torching Tips: Move the kitchen torch constantly to caramelize sugar evenly, creating a beautiful amber-colored crisp topping without burning.
- Flavor Boost: Roasting blackberries with cardamom adds unexpected warmth and complexity to the traditional dessert’s fruity garnish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 525 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 48 g
- Saturated Fat: 29 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 320 mg