Maple Creme Brulee

Maple Creme Brulee

French -

By: Laura Sorkin

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: Serves 8

When we first moved to Vermont, it seemed like every restaurant had Maple Creme Brulee on the menu. The vanilla version is a classic French dessert, made with a simple baked egg custard and topped with broiled sugar crust. That Vermont celebrated their own iteration made sense since maple and cream are a heavenly combination and … we’ve got maple. Despite the fact it was everywhere, it was always a treat.

Nevertheless, trends change and about ten years ago, Maple Creme Brulee disappeared. I’m not sure if the dessert fell out of style or if chefs were just ready for something new. But recently, I inherited a beautiful ramekin set that is likely from the 1970s. Since I had this new treasure, I made a batch for some friends and remembered just how excellent it is. Plus, you get to play with a mini-flame thrower.

Creme brulee can be a little tricky in that it is easy to overcook it and create scrambled egg cups. Baking at a low temperature and placing your ramekins in a water bath will help prevent that. Pro tip: put the tray of ramekins on your oven rack first and then add warm water to avoid splashing water into the cups. 

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup Sugarmaker’s Cut or Sugarmaker’s Dark pure maple syrup

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • Granulated sugar for crust

Instructions

  • 1 Preheat oven to 310F.
  • 2 Heat heavy cream in a pot on the stove until just about to simmer but do not let it boil.
  • 3 In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Add vanilla extract.
  • 4 Take a heat proof measuring cup and scoop up some of the warmed cream. Slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Continue with more scoops until most of the cream is incorporated. Add the remainder and stir.
  • 5 Pour the cream-maple mixture into ramekins to nearly the top edge and place them into a rimmed sheet pan. Put the pan on a middle rack in the oven then gently add enough warm water to come halfway up the ramekins.
  • 6 Bake for about 30 minutes or until the custard has firmed a little. Remove from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Let cool completely and then chill in the fridge.
  • 7 When chilled, remove and sprinkle a spoonful of granulated sugar on top of the custards. You can brulee them under a broiler or with a kitchen torch.