Verdict - Creme Brulee Cupcakes

 

Crème Brulee Cupcakes

Two of my favorite things in one - crème brulee and cupcakes! What could go wrong!? Well, in the words of Sweet Brown - "Ain't nobody got time for that!" Look, I'm a busy girl. Aren't we all!? The concept is awesome, but the result is not so great, especially for the amount of time you spend making it.

My suggestion? Take the crème brulee - leave the cupcake. BUT for those of you who just can't let the idea go, here's how to make 'em:

Crème Brulee
6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or, split a vanilla bean and use the seeds - yum!)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it is on the verge of boiling. Remove from heat. In a glass mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and the vanilla and beat until well combined and pale yellow. Add the heavy cream to the egg mixture - very important to add the cream slowly at first to temper the eggs. Otherwise, they'll heat too quickly and you'll have scrambled eggs! Add the remaining cream and stir until well combined.

Make a double boiler by adding a couple of cups of water to a saucepan over high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to low, then place the glass bowl on top of the saucepan. It's very important to assure the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

You can pour the mixture into any baking dish your heart desires - an 8 x 8, or small ramekins. I'd suggest dividing it up among 6 small, round ramekins. This way you get multiple servings instead of one large one (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 325 degrees until the crème brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

If you want to skip the cupcakes, here's the last step:
Remove the crème brulee from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the 1/4 cup of brown sugar and spread evenly on top of each ramekin. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. You can also use your oven's broiler on high for 2-3 minutes, but be sure to watch it so you don't burn your brulee! Allow the crème brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Now, if you're up for it, here's the rest:
To keep it easy, just use your favorite boxed brand - prepare the cupcake batter as you normally would, but when it comes time to fill the cupcake liners, only fill them about 1/4 of the way. Much more than that and you won't have any room for the brulee! Your baking times will also be less - check them at about the half way point, and every couple minutes after until done.

After they've cooled, spoon chilled crème brulee on top of each cupcake, then add the granulated/brown sugar mixture from above. Melt the sugar with a torch, or oven broiler. Let the brulee cool/set again before serving.

Enjoy!
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