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Dec 7, 2022

Eggnog Crème Brûlée (Small Batch)

These Eggnog Crème Brûlées are rich and creamy, and are the perfect dessert for two. 

Eggnog Crème Brûlée on plates.


Take advantage of all of the eggnog available during the holidays and treat yourself to some Eggnog Crème Brûlée. 

Of course, you don't have to wait for the holidays because homemade eggnog is easy to make. All you need is some milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg, which you probably have on hand any time of year!

Eggnog Crème Brûlée (Small Batch) on plates.


Crème brûlée (French for burnt cream) is a rich and creamy baked custard made with heavy cream, milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a crunchy burnt sugar crust. It's such a luscious dessert. Plus... the ingredients are so similar to eggnog!

Therefore, why not use prepared eggnog instead of the milk to make a holiday version of this French dessert!

Ingredient Notes:

The ingredient list in the custard for this crème brûlée is pretty simple. Cream, egg yolks, sugar nutmeg, vanilla or vanilla bean paste, and prepared eggnog. 

In addition, I added a little bit of bourbon to the custard. Feel free to skip the alcohol. You could also substitute rum, brandy, or your favorite liqueur for the bourbon. 

For the melted sugar crust, instead of granulated sugar, use brown sugar for an even richer flavor. 

Eggnog Crème Brûlée (Small Batch) with a spoonful.



I love cracking through the crispy sugary crust with my spoon for that first bite. 

Tips for Making this Crème Brûlée: 

With this recipe, there is no tempering of the egg yolks, yet you still get an amazing custard. It really works!

If you prefer, you can scald the cream and temper the eggs by following a traditional Crème Brûlée recipe, but I skipped this step and was super happy with the results. 

Regarding the melted and hardened sugar crust, as mentioned, for this eggnog version of crème brûlée, I used brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. I also broiled the sugar topping rather than using a culinary torch to brown and melt the sugar. 

The traditional crème brûlée recipe says "You must torch the topping so that the custard remains cold and the sugar is still crunchy. Also, you must serve the crème brûlée immediately or the sugar topping will get soft."

Surprisingly, with the brown sugar, you actually have to give the topping time to harden in the refrigerator, which gives the custard time to re-chill! Plus, by broiling the sugar, the caramelization is evenly distributed. 

Eggnog Crème Brûlée (Small Batch) overhead shot of the sugar crust.



It's pretty miraculous!

Helpful Tools:

You have to bake the custards in a water bath. I'm kind of klutzy, so, even though you can bake them in crème brûlée dishes (which I own and have never used, except for baked eggs), I prefer to use 4 ounce ramekins so that the water from the water bath does not spill into the custard mixture. 

You will also need a baking pan for the water bath. I used a 9-inch cake pan. A square cake pan would work fine too. 

You can either add boiling water to the pan and transfer it to the oven, or place the pan on the oven rack and pour the boiling water into the pan there. It's up to you. 




Foodie extravaganza logo.



Welcome to this month's Foodie Extravaganza. Our theme is eggnog to celebrate National Eggnog Month.  Our host is Culinary Cam. Check our everyone's recipes:




Eggnog Crème Brûlée (Small Batch) with a spoon on the side.



Eggnog Crème Brûlée

Eggnog Crème Brûlée
Yield: 2 servings
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M
These Eggnog Crème Brûlées are rich and creamy, and are the perfect dessert for two.

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup egg nog
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
  • 5 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 325 degrees F, with a rack in the center. Place two 4 ounce ramekins in the center of a 9 inch cake pan or other baking pan. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and blended. Add the vanilla bean paste and add the milk, cream, nutmed, and bourbon. Whisk until fully blended.
  3. Divide the mixture (1/2 cup each) among the ramekins. Add the boiling water until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven and bake the custards for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool in the water for 30 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 6 hours or overnight.
  5. To make the sugar topping, set the oven to broil with a rack on the top third of your oven.
  6. Using small sieve, press 2 1/2 teaspoons of the brown sugar over each custard so that it is evenly spread. Place the ramekins onto a baking sheet and broil the custards for 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly and caramelized, but not burned.
  7. Remove from the oven and refrigerate for 2 hours, until hardened.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

342.66

Fat (grams)

20.25

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.96

Carbs (grams)

30.19

Fiber (grams)

0.03

Net carbs

30.17

Sugar (grams)

29.34

Protein (grams)

7.8

Sodium (milligrams)

57.55

Cholesterol (grams)

346.49
creme brulee, eggnog
dessert
French
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Would you like to comment?

  1. Thanks for all those eggnog links! And thanks for this creme brulee recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I will always pick Crème Brûlée for dessert when it's offered! Thanks for joining the eggnog fun and games, Karen. I can't wait to try your recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My hubby will love this creme brulee especially that gorgeous brown sugar topping!

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