Blueberry Crème Brûlée for Two
This Blueberry Crème Brûlée for Two is the perfect at home date night dessert. Each ramekin starts with a layer of fresh blueberry sauce, then is filled with rich vanilla almond custard, and is finished with the classic burnt sugar topping. These are seriously addicting and only require 6 simple ingredients!
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 702kcal
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Custard
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract*
- more sugar for topping
Instructions
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine the blueberries and ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Divide the blueberry sauce between 2 7 ounce ramekins (about 1.8 inches tall). Place the ramekins into a 8 x 8 metal pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside. Bring about 2 ½ cups of water to a boil in an electric kettle or pot. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer (not a boil). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond.
- Pour a splash of the cream into the egg mixture and whisk continuously. Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the cream in. Stop whisking as soon as the cream is combined.
- Ladle the custard evenly between the two ramekins.
- Pour the hot water into the pan. It should come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Carefully transfer the pan into the oven. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. The edges should be set, but the center should have a slight jiggle. Remove from the water bath immediately with an oven mitt and transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days. Top each crème brûlée with about ½ tablespoon or so of sugar.
- Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar and serve immediately. If you do not have a torch, broil the sugared crème brûlées on the highest rack until golden.
Notes
Heavy Cream: I have not tested this recipe with half and half or milk, but I assume it would not taste near as rich and might result in a watery custard.
Almond Extract: The almond extract adds such a nice flavor, but you can omit it if desired.
The sauce should be the consistency of jam. We do not want any excess water from the sauce in the ramekins with custard.
Do not overheat the cream. The cream should just be heated to a simmer, not a boil. It can curdle.
Temper the egg yolks. This is the process of slowly adding the hot cream to the egg yolks and whisking continuously so they do not scramble. If your eggs do become lumpy, run the custard through a fine mesh strainer.
Bake in a water bath. The water bath ensures the oven is very humid and creates the perfect custard texture. The crème brûlée would come out watery without it.
Use a thermometer. It is very easy to overcook the crème brûlées, but you also want to ensure they are cooked enough. There is not a ton of wiggle room. 170 degrees is the perfect temperature.
Chill completely. Crème brûlée is usually served cold with a warm topping.
Completely cover the top with sugar. Don’t forget the edges!
Serve immediately after torching. The crème brûlées should be eaten right after caramelizing the sugar so you get that crunchy warm sugar topping.
Nutrition
Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 426mg | Sodium: 46mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 54g