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History
and Notes:
- Crème Brûlée
is French for "Burnt Cream". If fact, neither the cream itself
nor the sugar on top are "burnt", although both are cooked.
- Although a
torch is now the standard tool for caramelising the sugar, or
failing that an oven grill, at the time Crème Brûlée was first
created neither existed. Instead, a small round iron has heated
and then placed on top to caramelise the sugar (historical note:
this iron was know as a "salamander"). This is a less controlled
method than a torch or grill, so it is likely that some of the
cream or sugar on the top was burnt instead of being merely
caramelised. Perhaps this is where the "burnt" part of the name
comes in. In any case, the term "Brûlée" is used by the
French for a variety of different desserts which are toped with
caramelised sugar.
- Various
countries claim to have invented this recipe, including the
French, Spanish and British. In the UK, it is claimed by some
that the dish was invented in Trinity College in Cambridge.
However, perhaps the earliest known reference was France in the
1691 release of Massialot's cookbook. In any case, there is a
strong argument that the recipe was created in France. It is
also true that the recipe is more popular in France than
anywhere else, being a standard dessert offering in many French
restaurants.
- This recipe is
typically cooked in a small ceramic disk, known as a ramekin. A
ramekin is defined as: "a small dish, often white in colour, typically preferred for the preparation and serving of various baked recipes".
If you do not have ramekins, other small oven dishes can be used
instead. However, a small and shallow ceramic dish is generally
most suitable for two reasons: it allows an even cooking of the
cream which results in a smooth texture; it provides individual
sized portions. Following is a picture, courtesy of Wikipedia.
- Crème Brûlée
is actually fairly easy to prepare. The only tricky thing is to
judge when it is cooked enough. The exact cooking time depends
on the size and shape of your ramekins. Once you've made the
recipe successfully, simply note the cooking time you've used
and always use the same in future.
- If you are
making this recipe for the first time and are unsure how long to
cook it for, simply cook for 50 minutes and then check every 10
minutes until done. A good trick for checking when it is cooked
is to stick a toothpick in the centre; if it comes out clean (or
with crumbs on it) then cooking is complete. If it comes out wet
then cook another 10 minutes and check again. Don't overcook as
the texture will become too firm rather than creamy.
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