Christmas Creme Brulee

• Refrigerated

  • 8 Egg yolks, large

• Baking & Spices

  • 3 tbsp Caster sugar
  • 6 tbsp Demerara sugar
  • 1 good grating Nutmeg, fresh

• Dairy

  • 600 Millilitres double cream

• Liquids

  • 1 tsp Flower water, orange

• Other

  • 3 sheets Edible gold leaf, optional

Found on nigella.com

Description

Directions

• YOU WILL NEED: Pie dish approximately 20cm/8-inches in diameter and a chef’s blowtorch. Put the pie dish in the freezer for at least 20 minutes and half-fill the sink with cold water. Put the cream, orange-flower water and a brave grating of fresh nutmeg into a saucepan, and bring to boiling point, but do not let boil. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl, and pour the flavoured cream over, still beating. Rinse and dry the pan and pour the custard mix back in. Cook over a medium heat (or low, if you’re worried) until the custard thickens: about 10 minutes should do it. You do want this to be a good, voluptuous crème, so don’t err on the side of runny caution. Remember you’ve got your sinkful of cold water to plunge the pan into should it really look as if it’s about to split. When the cream’s thick enough, grate over a little more nutmeg and pour into the severely chilled pie dish. Leave to cool, then put in the fridge till truly cold. Sprinkle with demerara sugar, spoonful by spoonful, and burn with a blowtorch till you have a blistered, tortoiseshell carapace on top. Dab edible gold leaf onto the hard but sticky burnt-sugar crust, using a fat pastry brush or, easier still, your fingertips. Press it gently onto the surface in a random but decorative way, smoothing it down.