Persimmon Crème Brûlée is an elegant French dessert of rich custard that makes a perfect dessert to end off a dinner. It’s creamy, not too sweet, light, and simple. I promise!
Remember the overload persimmons in my house? It was too much for us that I finally decided to make creme brulee out of them. I remember that a few years ago, my sister made creme brulee, and the results were fantastic. It took her two or three times experimenting with a recipe she found online before finally came up with the perfect creme brulee. I, on the other hand, was the one who ate most of them. Gee, that’s definitely something I don’t need to brag about.
Anyhow, I’ve never used a kitchen torch before, and at first, I thought of using an oven because that’s what my sister used; however, it didn’t turn out well. After a few times trying, I gave up and went to a store to buy a kitchen torch. I prefer to stay as far away from the fire as possible, so I waited for Frederick to come back from work and asked him to help me with the butane. By then, the creme brulee was mostly done, waiting for the crusty top. Later that night, he helped me with the butane, and I immediately tried it on one of the cakes. It worked! So, happy me went to sleep with a big smile.
The next morning, I was ready with my kitchen torch. The creme brulee was all set, but the torch did not work. I got a panic attack as Frederick was about to go to work. He was already late that morning, but he was kind enough to help me fix it. It still didn’t work, but I did not want to hold him for too long. Feeling hopeless, I turned the oven to 450F and put the creme brulee on the top rack. After 25 minutes, the creme brulee was finally done. I wasn’t joking. At first, I was expecting between 3-5 minutes to get the crusty part, but anyway, I was happy with the result.
I reduced the sugar and used the juice of persimmon for extra sweetness. That way, it tastes better and not overly sweet. Dear readers, please tell me, do you own a kitchen torch, and do you think it’s a must-have item at home?
Persimmon Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream or any cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 small persimmons cubed
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, vanilla, and persimmon over medium heat just to a simmer and remove from the heat. Let it cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then blend in a food processor until the persimmon is smooth.
- Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place four 6-ounce crème brûlée dishes in a roasting pan; set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks with sugar in a large bowl. Gently whisk the cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Pour the custard into the dishes and transfer to the oven’s middle rack. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the dishes. Bake until set but still jiggly in the center — about 35-40 minutes. Cool completely. Cover and chill up to 2 days.
- Brûlée the tops: Heat the broiler or prepare a kitchen torch. Place dishes on a baking sheet and broil, watching carefully, or use a torch to melt the sugar until bubbling and golden brown. Let rest until the sugar hardens to a crisp shell.
Liz says
Linda, it’s only 6 AM and now I’m craving creme brulee! What a lovely flavor…I’ve only made a few basics, but you’ve inspired me. I do have a kitchen torch…love it. My mom used to use my dad’s big welding torch and I was tempted to buy one of those!
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
oh my gosh creme brulee is my absolute FAVORITE!!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
You know I often see persimmon at the market and wonder if I could use it in a dessert-this one is a great idea! 😀