Description
Lavender Creme Brûlée is a delicate and fragrant twist on the classic French dessert, combining rich custard infused with honey and culinary lavender, topped with decadent caramelized brown sugar and a dollop of homemade whipped cream. This elegant dessert is perfect for spring entertaining and impresses with its smooth texture and floral notes.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 tbsp culinary grade lavender
- pinch of salt
- 6 egg yolks
Topping
- 8 tsp brown sugar
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Infuse Cream: In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, honey, vanilla bean seeds and pod, culinary lavender, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat, cover, and steep the mixture for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius) to prepare for baking the custards.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and lightly thickened.
- Strain Infused Cream: Strain the steeped cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a 4-cup Pyrex pitcher to remove lavender and vanilla pod. Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolks while whisking continuously to temper the eggs.
- Second Strain: Strain the combined mixture again through a cleaned fine mesh strainer back into a clean Pyrex pitcher to ensure an ultra-smooth custard base.
- Fill Ramekins: Pour the custard mixture evenly into 4-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan.
- Add Water Bath: Carefully pour hot water from a kettle into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, being cautious not to splash water into the custards which would affect setting.
- Bake Custards: Bake in the oven for 30 minutes if using shallow 1-inch-deep ramekins or up to 50 minutes for deeper ramekins, until the custards are mostly set but still jiggle slightly in the center.
- Cool and Refrigerate: Remove ramekins from the water bath and oven. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered overnight to set fully.
- Caramelize Sugar: When ready to serve, sprinkle each custard with 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Position the oven rack at the highest level and set the oven to broil. Place custards on a flat baking sheet and broil for 10-15 seconds until the sugar is caramelized and golden brown.
- Make Whipped Cream: In a bowl, combine 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Serve: Allow the caramelized tops to cool slightly, then add a dollop of whipped cream on each custard. Garnish with dried lavender blossoms for an elegant finish. Enjoy your honey lavender creme brûlée!
Notes
- Use culinary grade lavender to ensure the flavor is safe and pleasant for consumption.
- Do not splash water into ramekins during the water bath step to prevent custards from not setting properly.
- Broil the tops carefully to avoid burning the sugar; watch closely during caramelization.
- For a stronger lavender flavor, increase lavender infusion time slightly but avoid over-infusing to prevent bitterness.
- If you prefer a sweeter custard, you can adjust honey quantity slightly.
- Use shallow ramekins for quicker baking time and a classic crème brûlée texture.
- Make sure the egg yolks are tempered with warm cream gradually to prevent scrambling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin
- Calories: 209 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 34 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 185 mg
