This Plum Crème Brûlée Recipe is a delicious twist on the classic baked custard. We roast some tart plums and then top with a creamy, silky smooth baked custard. We then cool the baked custard and top 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 plums or don’t like them, there are a bunch of other fruits you could use for this, think berries, rhubarb, apple, peaches, apples, cherries etc. Check out my Gooseberry Creme Brulee Recipe if you are interested!
This delicious Creme Brûlée recipe can be broken down into 3 steps;
To make the roasted plums, simply toss the sliced plums with some brown sugar. Transfer these to a deep baking dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the plums have started to soften. Leave to one side to cool.
This Plum Crème Brûlée starts with a custard base. We make this by adding the cream, sugar and vanilla to a small/medium saucepan. Heat until just barely boiling. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until slightly pale. Carefully pour the hot cream over the egg yolks, continuously whisking. Continue whisking the mix until everything is combined. Pour through a fine mesh sieve or chinoix into a container or bowl. Place cling film directly onto the surface of the custard mix. Allow to cool at room temperature and then place into the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight preferably.
Preheat oven to 120°c (240°f) or 110°c (220°f) if fan assisted. Once both elements have cooled adequately, place a large heaped tablespoon or two of roasted plums 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. We know the Crème brûlée is cooked when you jiggle the tray and the custard moves, but it 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Light, fluffy muffins with bursts of juicy blackberries.
A small batch version of the classic dessert of sweetened cooked apples and blackberries topped…
Easy, 5 ingredient peach and raspberry compote. Perfect for filling cakes, macarons, pavlovas, cupcakes etc.
Simple vanilla cake with peaches and raspberries
Easy, make ahead breakfast using granola, yoghurt of your choice and stewed rhubarb
Gorgeous, buttery scones with a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior flavoured with bursts…