Balsamic-Blackberry Crème Brûlée
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Fresh blackberries macerated in aged balsamic vinegar, layered with creamy Greek yogurt and honey, then topped with a crackly torched sugar crust. A no-bake crème brûlée that’s elegant enough for a dinner party.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
0 minREADY
80 minThis is crème brûlée for people who don’t want to fuss with egg custard.
Greek yogurt and sour cream stand in for the traditional base, giving you that same lush, spoonable texture without heating up the oven.
Fresh blackberries get a 15-minute soak in aged balsamic vinegar, which brings out their sweetness and adds a tangy, almost wine-like depth.
A drizzle of orange blossom honey ties it together before you hit each ramekin with the blowtorch and crack through that glassy sugar shell.
Pro Tips
- Use a good aged balsamic (5 to 10 years old). Cheap balsamic is too harsh and will overpower the berries.
- Turbinado sugar gives a better crackle than regular brown sugar under the torch. The larger crystals caramelize more evenly.
- Chill the yogurt mixture for a full hour before torching. A cold base keeps the sugar from melting into the cream too quickly.
- No blowtorch? Set your oven broiler to high and watch closely. The sugar caramelizes in about 2 minutes, but it goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the blackberries and sprinkle with the vinegar.
Let stand for 15 minutes.
Reserve ½ cup of the berries for garnish.
Divide the remaining berries among six standard-size flan dishes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream and divide the mixture among the dishes.
Drizzle with the honey. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown or turbinado sugar over each custard.
Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar (see note below).
Garnish the top of the caramelized sugar with the reserved blackberries.
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