Another Anniversary

I know I just blogged about my wedding anniversary a few days ago, but another milestone is being celebrated today. One year ago I made the decision to stop just looking at food blogs and to start my own, so today's post is a celebration worthy dessert! I have had so much fun building up my blog for the last year, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it! I love the challenges that come from tracking my cooking, and I'm excited about the recipe collection I'm building up.

Crème brûlée has always been one of my favorite desserts. Last Christmas Joe got me a kitchen torch to make it at home, and during the post-holiday sales I found a crème brûlée cookbook on sale at Williams-Sanoma. This was only my second recipe out of the cookbook, though, because I rarely indulge in desserts this rich. It is a cappuccino crème brûlée, and the coffee junkie inside of me has been begging for this dessert for a while now. It did not disappoint! The custard was rich and smooth, and the coffee flavor was intense. The sugar crust on top was the perfect contrast. I ended up quite pleased with this variation on the traditional dessert, and would especially recommend it to any coffee lovers out there.

Cappuccino Crème Brûlée

From Lou Seibert Pappas Crème Brûlée

5 tsp instant espresso

2 Tbsp hot water

2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

6 large egg yolks

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp Kahlua or brandy

6 Tbsp sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 275. In a medium bowl, dissolve the espresso in the hot water. Stir in the cream.

In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale in color. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Whisk in the espresso mixture and Kahlua or brandy.

Place 6 standard size flan dishes or ramekins on a baking pan. Divide the custard mixture evenly among the dishes. Pour warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center of each custard still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and lift the dishes from the hot water. Let cool briefly, then refrigerate for at least two hours or up to two days.

When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar on each. Using a handheld torch, caramelize the sugar. You can also do this in the broiler. Let the sugar harden before eating.