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Benal
10-12-2005, 05:23 PM
When prepared correctly in a fine French restaurant, crème brulée is by far the best dessert you can possibly have.

I'm taking my wife out to this restaurant (http://www.toronto.com/profile/147099) for her birthday next weekend. I honestly can't wait to have their crème brulée again /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif
astroglide
10-12-2005, 05:34 PM
i've managed to get this far in life without trying it yet. i'm a custard/flan fan, it is custard with blazed sugar on top of it right? challenged to think i'd find it anywhere close to the best dessert, but hey, i hope i'm wrong.
B Dids
10-12-2005, 05:36 PM
It's pretty good, but is basically just really fancy pudding with a nice hat.

I'm not sure I can support that place based on it's overly trendy name.
10-12-2005, 05:37 PM
I've never had creme brulee, but I can't see how anything could be better than a good flourless chocolate cake.
Cancer Merchant
10-12-2005, 05:37 PM
[ QUOTE ]
It's pretty good, but is basically just really fancy pudding with a nice hat.

I'm not sure I can support that place based on it's overly trendy name.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. The "celebrity chatter" would put me off my lunch. Pretentious gits.
[censored]
10-12-2005, 05:39 PM
It's good, nowhere near the best. Cheesecake is much better.
ClaytonN
10-12-2005, 05:39 PM
The creme brulee with strawberry tart at the soon-to-be closed restaurant Iris in Atlanta is the best desert I've ever had.

Like a lot of things, there are average Creme Brulee's, and some freaking amazing ones. A lot of it depends on the torching of the sugar on top and the mix between the warm hardened surface and the cold pudding'ish stuff below.
astroglide
10-12-2005, 05:40 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I've never had creme brulee, but I can't see how anything could be better than a good flourless chocolate cake.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's exactly what i was thinking of when contrasting it with other nice restaurant dessert options. flourless chocolate cake is so excellent that i'll almost always pick it, thus never trying creme brulee.
xadrez
10-12-2005, 05:45 PM
The burnt sugar on top is the best part.

I like Flan better personally.
BottlesOf
10-12-2005, 05:45 PM
I agree. It's a little boring as a desert item b/c it's so common, but I have ordered tons of these and consider myself a bit of a connoisseur. (sp?)
10-12-2005, 05:49 PM
[ QUOTE ]
It's good, nowhere near the best. Cheesecake is much better.

[/ QUOTE ]
astroglide
10-12-2005, 05:51 PM
cheesecake could be better, but it is not the best
Wintermute
10-12-2005, 05:54 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Like a lot of things, there are average Creme Brulee's, and some freaking amazing ones. A lot of it depends on the torching of the sugar on top and the mix between the warm hardened surface and the cold pudding'ish stuff below.

[/ QUOTE ]
For a creme brulee afficionado, you seem to have your priorities misplaced. Sure, the torched sugar can be fcuked up, but any competent chef can get that right. The true mark of an excellent creme brulee is definitely in the custard. In fact, I prefer the non-"custard" version (no eggs used in the "custard", creating a more runny version). Nothing is worse than a dry creme brulee, although venturing too far into runny territory is just as bad. The trick with preparing it when you don't use eggs is to set the custard using this method:

-combine whipping cream, sugar, vanilla to taste, and pour into ramekins
-fill baking pan about 1/4" high with boiling water (not so high it will come over the top of the ramekins--you may want to put saran wrap over the ramekins in fact to prevent any water from splashing in there)
-place ramekins into pan w/ boiling water, place whole thing into oven at 300ish for about 20-30 minutes

Lots of crap creme brulees are just made with egg to ensure that it will set easily and therefore have good presentation. But it doesn't matter if it looks nice if it tastes like sh!t.

Other marks that separate the best from the truly exceptional are the accompanying garnishes. I prefer fresh raspberries & blackberries.
swede123
10-12-2005, 05:55 PM
A really good German Chocolate Cake is pretty hard to beat.

http://theweddingplanners.org/files/chocolate_cake.jpg

Swede
InchoateHand
10-12-2005, 06:05 PM
An old housemate of mine once got a kitchen torch. We had a lot of creme brulee. Carmalizing the sugar takes more practice than you'd think.

Nowhere on the level of good profiteroles, or flourless chocolate cake as others have mentioned.

I can make a killer Creme Brulee. If I go out, I want something I can't make.
[censored]
10-12-2005, 06:07 PM
[ QUOTE ]
cheesecake could be better, but it is not the best

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never had this flourless chocolate cake you mentioned. cheesecake is my favorite. for now.
bosoxfan
10-12-2005, 06:11 PM
How does the cake being flourless change it?
InchoateHand
10-12-2005, 06:13 PM
By making it a fundamentally different dessert.

Its super creamy---basically whipped eggs and chocolate, often with bread crumbs and some variety of nuts. I prefer the nutless varities.
B Dids
10-12-2005, 06:48 PM
90% of kitchen torches suck. All the Alton Brown esque people just suggest a regular butane torch.
bravos1
10-12-2005, 07:02 PM
[ QUOTE ]
The creme brulee with strawberry tart at the soon-to-be closed restaurant Iris in Atlanta is the best desert I've ever had.

Like a lot of things, there are average Creme Brulee's, and some freaking amazing ones. A lot of it depends on the torching of the sugar on top and the mix between the warm hardened surface and the cold pudding'ish stuff below.

[/ QUOTE ]

There closing Iris??? How come?
CardSharpCook
10-12-2005, 07:49 PM
I knew a girl who's favorite dessert was Creme Brulee and who's favorite fruit was Mango. I was going to make her a mango creme brulee, but sadly I never got the chance. Should I ever be a head chef, my dessert menu will include this item.
ClaytonN
10-12-2005, 08:10 PM
[ QUOTE ]
The true mark of an excellent creme brulee is definitely in the custard.

[/ QUOTE ]

Meh, we can disagree.