Categories: Dessert
Ingredients
- Cranberry Sauce:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
- 1 cup cold water
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- Custard:
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus
- 8 teaspoons sugar, for caramelization
Directions
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Cranberry Sauce: in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice concentrate, and water; stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil.
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Add in the cranberries; return mixture to a boil.
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Decrease heat and simmer gently for about 12 minutes; it will thicken and become glossy.
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Remove from heat; cool to room temperature and chill; you will have more than you need for the custards.
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Custard: position oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350°; lightly butter or spray the ramekins.
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Pour the cream into a medium pan.
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Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the tiny seeds into the pan; add the bean pod.
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Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat; remove pan from heat immediately and set aside for 15 minutes; discard the bean pod.
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While the vanilla bean is steeping in the cream, in a big bowl, combine the egg yolks and ½ cup sugar; whisk until blended.
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Slowly add the cream and vanilla mixture; mix well.
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Set the ramekins in the baking pan lined with a dish towel.
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Ladle the custard into the ramekins.
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Place the pan on the oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
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Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the cremes are set, but not brown.
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Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven; using a dish towel, carefully remove the ramekins from the hot water and cool to room temperature on a baking rack.
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Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled for at least 2 hours, or even overnight.
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Before serving, preheat broiler; set the oven rack to within 1 to 1 ½ inches from the heat.
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Remove the cremes from the refrigerator, uncover, and gently blot any moisture on the surface with a paper towel.
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Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce evenly on each custard.
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Sprinkle the top of each ramekin with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
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Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide it under the broiler.
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Broil, watching constantly and rotating the pan for even caramelization, until the toppings are bubbling and a rich brown, about 2 minutes.
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Alternatively, brown the tops with a torch for about 1-2 minutes.
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Serve immediately.