Description
This Lavender Creme Brûlée recipe is a delightful twist on the classic French dessert, infused with the delicate floral notes of culinary lavender and sweetened with honey. Creamy, smooth custard topped with caramelized brown sugar and a dollop of homemade whipped cream makes it a perfect elegant dessert for spring entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 tbsp culinary grade lavender
- Pinch of salt
- 6 egg yolks
Topping
- 8 tsp brown sugar for caramelizing tops
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Steep Cream: In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, honey, vanilla bean seeds and pod, culinary lavender, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Cover and steep for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
- Prepare Egg Mixture: Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Strain Cream: Strain the steeped cream mixture through a fine sieve into a 4-cup heatproof pitcher to remove lavender and vanilla pod.
- Combine Mixtures: Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolks while whisking continuously to temper the eggs and avoid curdling.
- Final Strain: Strain the combined custard base again through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher to ensure a smooth texture.
- Fill Ramekins: Pour the custard mixture evenly into 4-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan.
- Add Water Bath: Carefully pour hot water from a kettle into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, avoiding splashing into the custards.
- Bake: Bake the custards in the preheated oven for 30 minutes for shallow ramekins or 50 minutes for deeper ramekins, until the custard is mostly set but still jiggles slightly in the center.
- Cool and Chill: Remove ramekins from the water bath. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered overnight to set fully.
- Caramelize Sugar: To serve, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar evenly on top of each custard. Place ramekins on a flat cookie sheet on the oven's highest rack close to the broiler element. Broil for 10-15 seconds or until the sugar melts and caramelizes, forming a crisp top.
- Make Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, whip together 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Garnish and Serve: Allow the creme brûlée to cool slightly after broiling. Top each with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and garnish with dried lavender blossoms if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use culinary-grade lavender to ensure a pleasant flavor without bitterness.
- Be careful when adding water to the roasting pan to avoid splashing water into the custards, which can prevent proper setting.
- Double straining ensures an ultra-smooth custard without any lavender bits.
- If you don't have a broiler, use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar on top safely and evenly.
- For best flavor, refrigerate the custards uncovered overnight before caramelizing the tops.
- Use shallow ramekins for quicker baking and a more even custard texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin (about 120 g)
- Calories: 209 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 34 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 185 mg
