Pumpkin Latté Crème Brûlée
By: Karlie Kiser
Published: Friday, February 26, 2010 - 3:35pm

Ingredients




1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon espresso powder
6 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar, for topping
Special Equipment:
6 4 oz  ovenproof ramekins
kitchen torch

Preparation

1 Preheat the oven to 325º F. 2 In a medium saucepan, whisk together the first 10 ingredients (cream through espresso powder). 3 Over medium heat, bring the mixture just to a simmer or until steam rises; remove from heat and set aside. 4 In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and salt. Gradually add cream mixture, while whisking to combine. 5 Stir in vanilla. 6 Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout. 7 Divide the strained mixture evenly among the 6 ramekins. Arrange filled ramekins in a baking pan, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven. 8 Slowly pour enough hot water into the pan surrounding the ramekins to reach half way up sides. 9 Bake custards until set around the edges, but still slightly jiggly (like jello) in the center, about 20-30 min. 10 Let the ramekins rest in the water bath for 5 to 10 minutes after baking. 11 Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool for another 20 minutes. 12 Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. 13 When ready to serve, blot the top of the custards dry with a paper towel. 14 Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar over each custard in ramekins. 15 Using a small kitchen torch, melt the sugar by waving the torch flame 3-6 inches from the surface of the sugar. Heat the sugar until it is caramelized and no dry sugar is visible. 16 Sprinkle another 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar over each custard and continue to caramelize with the kitchen torch until a dark amber crust has formed on top of each custard. 17 Chill the custards for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 18 Pre-caramalized custards can be made up to 2 days ahead, chill until ready to serve.

About


Even though we have been well into the fall season for quite some time now (and almost into winter for that matter), I still feel I should mention my love of pumpkin spice lattes, and how their arrival on the Starbucks menu gets me giddy with anticipation for the upcoming "sweater" weather every year. I had my first of the season a while back, when I was still living in New York, and the tantalizing aromas from the cinnamon and nutmeg combined with the rich espresso got me thinking: wouldn't these flavors make for an excellent dessert? I felt inspired. The wheels started churning and I began to brainstorm the perfect vessel for my pumpkin latte creation. At first I thought cupcakes, perhaps with a pumpkin cake base topped by a mocha buttercream, but that idea didn't leave me too excited. After several "rough" recipes, I came up with the idea for a crème brûlée that would marry the flavors of pumpkin pie and a latte into one smooth and silky custard. I did some research on crème brûlées and the different ingredients and techniques often used to create them, and was able to come up with a recipe that I felt would mimic the pumpkin spice lattes I've come to love so much. I am not a very patient person, so I really try my hardest to get a recipe right the first time around. I don't have the time or tenacity (or money) to try a recipe over and over until I get it right. (A personality trait I should probably work on...) So I have to say I was thrilled when this recipe came out damn near perfect on my first try. I felt I achieved the balance of flavors I was looking for, and everything went smoothly (even the texture of the custard) just as I had hoped. At least until I broke out the blow torch, which was an experience all on its own.