Lemon Crème Brûlée with Berries

Crème Brûlée has been my favorite dessert for years. I decided to try making a lemon crème brûlée with berries recipe to switch it up a bit. I loved the subtle lemon flavor, and it paired nicely with the traditional vanilla custard flavor. I added a few blueberries and raspberries to the baking dishes before baking, and we loved it! Berries become sweeter when they are baked and mixed with the creamy lemony/vanilla custard, and the crisp sugar topping made this dessert over-the-top delicious.

Lemon Crème Brûlée with Berries

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chilled heavy cream, divided
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• Zest from 2 lemons
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh raspberries
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 12 large egg yolks
• 8 tsp turbinado sugar, more if needed

How to Make Lemon Crème Brûlée with Berries

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle section of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine 2 cups of cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Remove the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the pan. Submerge the vanilla pod in the cream.  Add the lemon zest. Bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it steep for 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.

Meanwhile, place a Silpat mat (or thin kitchen towel) on the bottom of a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan to prevent the dishes from sliding around.

Arrange 8 (4-5 oz) ramekins on the silpat mat. Add a few blueberries and raspberries to each ramekin.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.

After the vanilla bean has steeped, remove the pod from the cream and stir in the remaining 2 cups of cream to cool the mixture, and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, more if a stronger lemon flavor is desired.

Whisk the yolks well in a separate large bowl. Add about 1 cup of the cream mixture to the yolks and whisk until combined. Repeat with the remaining cream, and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or bowl, and discard the solids left in the strainer.

Pour or ladle the mixture into the ramekins, dividing it equally among them.

Carefully place the rimmed baking sheet with the ramekins on the oven rack; pour boiling water into the baking pan, being careful not to splash water into the ramekins, until the water reaches two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake until the centers of the custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy. A digital thermometer inserted in the center should read 170-175 degrees, 30-35 minutes. Begin checking the temperature about 5 minutes before the recommended time.

Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Set the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

Uncover the ramekins. If condensation has collected on the custard surface, place a paper towel on the surface to soak up the mixture.

Sprinkle the top of each ramekin with a teaspoon of turbinado sugar, and tilt and tap each ramekin for even coverage.

Ignite the torch and caramelize the sugar carefully.

Refrigerate uncovered to re-chill for 20-30 minutes (but no longer), serve. Enjoy!