Gooseberry Crème Brûlée Recipe

This Gooseberry Crème Brûlée Recipe is a delicious twist on the classic baked custard. A tart gooseberry compote is topped with a creamy, silky smooth baked custard. The cooled baked custard is then topped with a glorious caramelised sugar top that makes a satisfying crack as you dig in and provides a lovely crunchy texture to balance the velvet textured custard. If you can’t get your hands on gooseberries or don’t like them, there are a bunch of other fruits you could use for this, think berries, rhubarb, apple, peaches, plums, cherries etc.

So how do I make this Gooseberry Crème Brûlée from scratch?

To make this recipe, there are a few steps to take;

• Crème Brûlée
• Gooseberry Compote
• Baking Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée

This Gooseberry Crème Brûlée starts with a custard base. This is made by adding the cream to a small/medium saucepan. Heat until just barely boiling. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until slightly pale. Carefully pour the hot cream over the egg mix, continuously whisking. Continue to whisk until everything is combined. Pour through a fine mesh sieve or chinoix into a container. Place cling film directly onto the surface of the custard mix. Allow to cool at room temperature and then place into the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Gooseberry Compote

To make the gooseberry compote, remove any stems from the gooseberries. Place into a saucepan along with the sugar and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the gooseberries have started to break down and become mushy. In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour and water. Add this to the saucepan, stirring constantly. Allow the compote to cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and place into a container to cool.

Baking Crème Brûlée

Preheat oven to 110°c (220°f) or 105°c (210°f) if fan assisted. Once both elements have cooled adequately, place a large heaped tablespoon of gooseberry compote into each ramekin. Carefully pour over the custard to just under the top rim. Place the ramekins into deep sided trays. Carefully pour water into the trays, being careful to not add any to the ramekins until about 1/2 way up the ramekins.

Carefully place the trays in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The Crème brûlée is cooked when you jiggle the tray and the custard moves, but has a more solid wobble to it. It should wobble like a thick set jelly, not like liquid. Allow to cool fully and remove the ramekins from the trays. Place into the fridge to chill completely.

Once completely cold and ready to serve, sprinkle a large teaspoon of caster sugar onto the surface of the brulee. Using a blow torch, evenly melt and caramelise the sugar all round. Serve and eat immediately.

What kind of sugar should I use for on top of Crème Brûlée?

Personally, I like to use fine white caster sugar. This is because it melts easily and you can control the caramelization a bit better as you can see how dark the sugar is getting. Some people prefer brown sugar however it’s easier to burn or under caramelise brown sugar due to it’s colour.

Any tips on getting an even caramelization on the top of Crème Brûlée?

Yes, absolutely! Usually, I like to add the fine caster sugar on to the Crème Brûlée and gently tap the ramekins so the sugar covers the surface evenly. I then hold the ramekin at an angle, with the ramekin tilting downwards. I then begin torching at the top of the brulee. When the sugar starts to caramelize, I slowly rotate the ramekin, allowing the liquid caramelized sugar to move around the surface of the custard. This ensures a nice even coverage.

How can I caramelize the sugar without a blow torch?

The best, easiest and fastest way to caramelize the ugar really is a blow torch. If this is a dessert you enjoy, I would highly recommend investing in a blow torch. They are relatively inexpensive for small kitchen friendly blow torches. However, if this is completely out of the question, you can caramelize the sugar by placing the sugar covered custards under the grill. Use a medium heat, and keep a very close eye on them.

How long does Crème Brûlée keep for?

As Crème Brûlée are baked custards, they contain egg yolk and don’t have a super long shelf life. The custard mix before baking can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days before baking. The baked custards can be kept for up to 3 more days if wrapped and refrigerated. If the Crème Brûlée has the caramelised sugar on top, they will only last about an hour maximum until the sugar begins to melt and become sticky. If they have been kept cold, you can remove the melted sugar on top and brulee again if desired.

For more Gluten Free Recipes, check out my Gluten Free Category, here.

Interested in more Dessert Recipes? Check out my Dessert Category, here.

Have a bunch more Gooseberries to use? Check out all my other Gooseberry Recipes, here.