Happy Mother's Day

Hans put out all the stops this Mother's day. Culinary stops, that is. This morning he made me a fancy layered strawberry smoothie. For lunch, well I fended for myself, but that's okay. For dinner he made Chicken Cor Don Bleu and for dessert it was Crème brûlée. Oh la la!!! He even fired up the the fancy butane burner to crystallize the sugar on top so that it would look Tres Chic. If that wasn't enough, the Crème brûlée tasted Tres Riche (that's French for "it tasted delicious!") So I wanted to share the recipe Hans used, so that you can wow and woo your hubby for Father's Day, next month.

Crème Brûlée

• 2 cups half-and-half or light cream

• 5 egg yolks, slightly beaten

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

• 1/3 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree F.

2. Heat half-and-half or light cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat just until bubbly. Combine slightly beaten egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a wire whisk or rotary beater just until combined. Slowly whisk or stir the hot cream into the egg mixture.

3. Place four ungreased 4-inch quiche dishes or oval or round tart pans without removable bottoms into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set the pan on an oven rack in the preheated oven. Pour custard mixture evenly into the dishes. Pour very hot water into the baking pan around the dishes until water is halfway up the sides of the baking pan.

4. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of each dish comes out clean. Remove dishes from pan; let cool about 30 minutes. Cover, chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Before serving, let the custards stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

5. Place 1/3 cup sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook until sugar is completely melted and golden (3 to 5 minutes more), stirring as needed.

6. Spoon melted sugar quickly over custards in a lacy pattern or in a solid piece. If melted sugar starts to harden in pan, return to heat, stirring until it melts. If it starts to form clumps, carefully stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons water. If desired, garnish custards with edible flower petals. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Fyi:
If you have a butane burner, skip steps 5 & 6 and liberally sprinkle (is that an oxymoron?) the top of the custards with granulated or brown sugar. If you're feeling fancy, raw sugar makes it look tres tres magnifique! Melt sugar according to your burners directions. Serve immediately.

P.s.
I really don't think edible flower petals are all that tasty.