need help on creme brulee

I followed a recipe for creme brulee which called for 4 egg yolks and 2.5 cups of heavy cream and the vanilla, sugar etc. The problem was that it didn't set up the required time (35-40 min) and I had to keep it in the water bath in the oven for atleast 25 additional minutes. After it cooled it was still kinda runny. I checked another recipe this morning and the difference was that the recipe I used did not have me cook the combined mixture before I put it in the ramekins. Can someone tell me if this is a required step? I love creme brulee and would like to have a fool-proof recipe. Thanks.

Thanks for your ideas, I'm certain the answer lies with the extra egg yolk and adding boiling water to the water bath. Monpetitchoux, I like your idea of concentrating flavors, I'll try that, too. I had added fresh rasberries on the bottoms of my ramekins but they floated to the top. Hard to keep those buggers down. Also, what sugar do you think makes the best topping? I used turbinado but I don't think I melted it enough since it was still a little grainy. I do use the blow torch method, I feel I have more control that way.

[angrychef]

I agree with monpetitchoux and W. My recipe also uses 5 yolks for 2 cups of cream. Check out www.finecooking.com, they have 3 great recipes for creme brulees. The reason for scalding the cream is to speed things up. A warm creme brulee mixture will cook faster than one cold from the cooler. Just temper your yoks and sugar so you don't cook them. And bake them covered.

[W.DeBord]

Although I'm a professional pastry chef I don't bake as scientificly as some so I can't give you exact details, so I leave that part of your question to someone else. Although I've read the reasoning behind bringing your cream up to a boil...I thought it wasen't necessary for pasturized creams (although I always do)??

But I do know these facts from making brulee very frequently...I always bring my milk up to a boil then temper it into my yolks, strain it, then place in my ramikins and bake in a hot water bath.

My personal tricks...

1.I never whip my yolks with sugar as some recipes advise, it's totally not necessary. 2.I also always put my sugar into my milk to dissolve instead of risking it burning my yolks.

From experience: it always takes longer to bake then every recipe I've ever read...about 1 hr(or longer) at 300 degrees for a 4" ramikin. Although recipes using chocolate set quicker.

I haven't ever made such a small batch as you posted but it might be short 1 yolk, but you definately didn't go wrong baking it longer and perhaps needed to continue baking even more.

[monpetitchoux]

Isn't creme brulee one of the better things in life?

I suspect that you don't have enough egg yolks in your mix. Normally, for 2 cups of cream, I use 5 egg yolks from large eggs. I bring the cream and scraped vanilla bean to boil, allow to infuse a few hours or until room temp. whisk the egg yolks in a big bowl and while whisking, add in 1/4 cup sugar. Then I strain the cream over the egg yolks, whisk to thoroughly mix everything, then restrain the mix into a clean container. Use a fine mesh strainer. Then I let the mix ripen for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. During this period, the mixture thickens up a bit and becomes a little more interesting in flavor. When you bake your custard, have the oven ready at 350F and a pot of water boiling on the stove. Skim the frothy stuff off your mix before pouring into your ramekins which should be in a baking sheet. Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins and cover with another sheet pan. Bake 40 minutes. After time is up, check to see if the custard is set. I jiggle the pan. The custard should jiggle as one whole mass, no quarter size uncooked middles at all! Remove the sheet from the oven and let the custard come to room temp in the water. Remove from water and wipe the bottom of the ramekins. Refrigerate until cold. I recommend burning the sugar with a blow torch or the traditional iron. Not in the broiler. If you do it in the broiler, then make sure you put your custard in icewater bath before putting it in the broiler. The custard has to be cold when served but the sugar must be crispy so it can't go back in the fridge. I hope this helps.

BTW, if you cook the mix on the stove before baking, then you are making a creme anglaise. That doesn't sound right to me.

[momoreg]

I cook my cream and sugar (with vanilla bean or other flavor) until the sugar is dissolved and the cream is scalded. Then I pour in the milk. I whisk this mixture into my yolks, and since it is not hot, there is no need to temper. I find that this method produces the creamiest, smoothest consistency. I use a warm water bath, about 1/4" to 1/2" up the sides. Any deeper will take forever to cook the custard.

For the sugar, you can use superfine or granulated, or light brown sugar which has been dried in the oven, then powdered in the cuisinart and sifted. I just use granulated in small increments (a few very thin layers, and some patience).

[Pooh]

You will find Le Cirque's Crème Brûlée here:
www.mrchocolate.com/bookinformation/book1/recipes/jt_brule.htm
www.mrchocolate.com/bookinformation/book1/recipes/jt_cisco.htm

[mofo1]

I use a standard ratio of 3 yolks to every cup of cream. I know it could be argued that that is too many, but I've never gotten any complaints. This is one of those things that is impossible to be "too" rich so I say "what the heck?" and use lots of yolk and all cream.

[mofo1]

I use a standard ratio of 3 yolks to every cup of cream. I know it could be argued that that is too many, but I've never gotten any complaints. This is one of those things that is impossible to be "too" rich so I say "what the heck?" and use lots of yolk and all cream. I also agree with DeBord. I've never had them set in the "printed" time.

[mofo1]

oops