Best Crème Brûlée Tartlets Recipes

WHITE CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CRèME BRûLéE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For crusts:
• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and ginger and process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water and blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball and divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out each dough disk on lightly floured surface to 6-inch round. Press into each of two 4 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, pressing to form double-thick sides. Pierce crusts all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake crusts until golden, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack. Immediately spoon 1/2 tablespoon preserves over bottom of each crust. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• For custard:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, add white chocolate and whisk until melted. Whisk yolks and vanilla in medium bowl. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolks to blend well. Divide custard between crusts. Bake tartlets until center is just set, about 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Chill tartlets overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each tartlet with 1 teaspoon sugar. Broil just until sugar melts and browns, covering crusts with foil to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate tartlets until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Arrange raspberries around edge of tartlets.

ORANGE-ALMOND CREME BRULEE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the crusts: Pulse flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. Whisk together egg, yolk, and water. With machine running, quickly add egg mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together. Press dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Set six 4-inch tart rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out six 6-inch circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of tart rings, patching any holes or tears, leaving an overhang at the top of each. Prick bottoms of tart shells all over with a fork, and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim excess dough flush with edges of rings using a knife.
• Bake, pressing down dough if puffing, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Make orange caramelized almonds: Remove zest from orange in strips using a vegetable peeler; reserve for filling. Cut away pith; slice fruit along membranes to release segments into a bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl; discard. Reserve half the segments for another use; coarsely chop remaining segments.
• Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, washing down sides of pan. Cook, swirling often, until sugar is pale amber and starts to caramelize. Add almonds, and stir to toast. Cook until medium to dark amber in color. Add orange and juice and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat, and stir until smooth.
• Make the filling: Bring cream and reserved orange zest to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; cover, and let stand for 2 hours. Spread 1 tablespoon orange caramelized almonds in a flat, even layer onto bottom of each tart shell (you will have more almonds than needed to cover the tart shell bottoms; reserve remaining almonds for another use). Freeze tart shells until caramel is firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bring cream to just under a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk cream into egg mixture. Strain through a fine sieve; discard zest.
• Divide cream mixture evenly among tart shells, filling each to the top. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just set, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour to set.
• Sprinkle tops with sugar. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of each tart, and move flame back and forth until sugar is caramelized and deep golden brown, or broil until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately.

EGGNOG CREME-BRULEE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Roll out both disks of dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/8-inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter or an inverted bowl and a paring knife, cut out eight 4 1/2-inch disks. Fit into eight 3 1/4-inch ring tart molds, pressing into corners and up sides (do not trim edges). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Meanwhile, bring cream and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar just to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk together yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl. Whisking constantly, ladle about one-half of hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until thick enough for spoon drawn through it to leave a trail, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let boil). Strain mixture into a heatproof measuring cup; stir in brandy and nutmeg.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim dough shells flush with rims of tart molds. Line each shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; bake until golden and dry, about 1 minute more. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 300 degrees. Divide custard evenly among shells, filling each almost to top. Bake until custard is just set around edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in molds on a wire rack 30 minutes. Remove rings and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Sprinkle each tart with about 2 teaspoons superfine sugar. Hold a handheld kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches above surface and move flame in a circular motion until sugar is deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

CRèME BRûLéE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Put the flour, a pinch of salt and the butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the sugar and orange zest, and briefly pulse again. Pour in 2 tbsp of the egg mixture and pulse until the dough comes together, adding more liquid if needed.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line four deep-fluted tartlet tins (8 x 3cm). Place the tins on a tray and chill for 30 mins. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line each pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 10-15 mins, until the sides are set. Remove the parchment and beans and cook for 5-10 mins. Leave to cool. Can be made up to 1 day ahead at this stage and be stored in an airtight container. Lower the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Pour the cream into a heavy-based saucepan, scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod, then throw in the 2 halves of the pod. Heat until small bubbles begin to form around the sides of the pan, then leave to infuse for 5 mins. Remove the pod. In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar. Keep stirring, then pour in the cream, mixing until combined. Strain through a sieve into a jug. Pour the custard into the tart shells, then bake for 18-22 mins until almost set (they should be quite wobbly in the centre but will firm up on cooling). Leave to cool completely, then chill for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel topping. Grease a lipped metal baking tray with a little oil. Tip the caster sugar into a frying pan with 3 tbsp water and heat gently until the sugar starts to melt. Don't be tempted to stir the sugar, as this can encourage the caramel to crystalise. However, you can tilt the pan to move it around. Once the sugar is almost melted, turn up the heat and bubble the caramel to a deep golden-brown colour. Quickly tip onto the greased tray and leave to cool completely. Once cool, turn the tray upside down and tap to release the caramel. Break into pieces, then whizz in a food processor until you have fine crystals.
• Heat the grill. Scatter a thick layer of caramel crystals over the surface of each tart, and pop a collar of foil around the top edge of the pastry. Place under the grill, not too near the heat source, and let the caramel melt - watch carefully as they will burn easily. Leave to cool, then chill for 30 mins or until ready to serve.