While I was in Brooklyn catching up with college friends, our conversation turned to food after I mentioned my blog. One friend quizzed me about the best tips for making crème brûlée. Before I could answer, someone else offered the exact tip I had in mind — and I realized I hadn’t made crème brûlée in years. As a dessert blogger, that felt like a lapse, so I decided to remedy it.
To add a touch of romance for Valentine’s Day and to expand the blog’s repertoire, I made a rich blood orange crème brûlée. It’s indulgent, silky, and makes a lovely, elegant dessert for two.
This year I had a surprisingly difficult time finding good blood oranges. Last season they were everywhere, but recently they were scarce. I ended up using a produce delivery service and paid $1.49 per orange. When they arrived they looked like regular oranges with only a faint red tint near the pith — disappointing, since the best blood oranges are a deep ruby red inside. If you can source deeply colored blood oranges, your crème brûlée will have a pretty pink hue.
If you don’t have a kitchen torch, the oven broiler works fine to caramelize the sugar. The broiler produces a darker, slightly more charred crust with blackened spots; I like the contrast between the bitter-sweet, caramelized edges and the smooth, velvety custard. If you prefer a more even, golden top, use a torch or watch the broiler closely while caramelizing.
Recipe Card
Blood Orange Crème Brûlée
Amanda Powell
Pin Recipe
18
45
1 3
Fruit
French
4 small crème brûlée
589 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup blood orange juice plus the zest of one orange
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar (for topping)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
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In a small saucepan, simmer the blood orange juice until it reduces to ½ cup. Remove from heat and stir in the zest, ¼ cup sugar and the heavy cream. Warm gently until the mixture is combined and just begins to bubble, then remove from heat.
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Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring about half of the warm cream mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then add the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining cream and whisk until smooth.
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Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl. Divide the custard evenly among ramekins, filling each about two-thirds full.
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Place the ramekins in a baking pan and pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
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Bake for 45–60 minutes, until the custard is mostly set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the water bath, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely set, at least a few hours or overnight.
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When ready to serve, sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over each custard and spread it evenly. Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch or under the oven broiler until it forms a crisp, golden-brown crust. Serve immediately for the best contrast between the crisp top and silky custard.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal
Carbohydrates: 37g
Protein: 7g
Fat: 48g
Saturated Fat: 29g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 319mg
Sodium: 41mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 34g
blood orange, creme brulee
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