Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of the most famous custards to come out of France. 

 However, England, Spain and France all claim to have created this Classic Dish. 

 The first printed recipe for a dessert called creme brulee is from the 1691 edition of the French cookbook Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois by Francois Massialot, a cook at the Palace of Versailles.

Creme Brulee means, simply, "Burnt Cream".

Made with simple ingredients of eggs, sugar, heavy cream and fresh vanilla bean, this dish

could not be more basic.

After the baking process, extreme heat via broiler, salamander or good old plumbers

torch is applied to sugar on top of the custard to form a hard crust.

One year, a very large, prestigious law firm we catered for requested this dessert for  their 

Secretaries Appreciation Day Luncheon.  The law firm was so large, we, in fact, had to make

this a two day affair.

They had a lovely office building  overlooking the Susquehanna River.  We were on the top floor for the luncheon festivities.  The Maintenance Supervisor advised me that  an open flame (pumblers'

torch) would wreak havoc and cause a gazillion gallons of water to overcome us should I attempt

to "torch" these creme brulee desserts inside.

Since there was a terrace, I figured that we could "torch" the desserts outside.....what choice did

I have?

Ok, ok, so maybe I didn't think that one through!!!.....First day of event, we are outside attempting

to torch these desserts and the wind is whipping all around us!  The flame is going everywhere....

but not on the wonderful desserts I have prepared!  What a joy that was .....to get a hard crust

on these desserts!

My bottom line advise is:  do not attempt this outside with the wind whipping all around you!!!!