Praline Crème Brulee Recipe

Crème Brulee is a classic elegant dessert that is surprisingly easy to make ahead of time. It's also a great time to incorporate a blow-torch as a kitchen utensil. This version is praline flavored, but any crème brulee can be garnished with praline pieces or Pecanfections.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 8 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp Praline Topping
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 6 tbsp sugar (preferably Turbinado)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Add the cream into a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Split the vanilla beat, and scrape the insides with the tip of the knife. Add the scrapings and the scraped bean to the cream and stir. Remove the pan from heat just before it begins to boil. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the yolks and praline topping together, until the yolks start to take on a lighter yellow color. While still beating the egg mixture, slowly add the vanilla cream in small increments. Slowly pour the liquid into 6 ramekins or custard cups, about a quarter inch from the top. Place the ramekins in a baking dish or roasting pan. Fill the pan with water until it is halfway up the outside of the ramekins. Bake just until the custard is set, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until the ramekins are cool enough to handle. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar evenly on top of each custard. Now it's time to "brulee", or burn the sugar to give it that nice crunchy shell on top. This can be done with a blow-torch or in the broiler. If using a torch, keep the flame tip moving over the surface, about 2 to 3 inches from the top of the custard so it doesn't burn in any one spot. If using the broiler, set the rack to the highest position in the oven and watch closely until the sugar begins to bubble and turn brown. Serve the crème brulee when the ramekins are cool enough to handle.