Crème Brulée

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It's good, nowhere near the best. Cheesecake is much better.

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[astroglide]

cheesecake could be better, but it is not the best

[Wintermute]

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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.

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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]

A really good German Chocolate Cake is pretty hard to beat.



Swede

[InchoateHand]

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]]

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cheesecake could be better, but it is not the best

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I've never had this flourless chocolate cake you mentioned. cheesecake is my favorite. for now.

[bosoxfan]

How does the cake being flourless change it?

[InchoateHand]

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]

90% of kitchen torches suck. All the Alton Brown esque people just suggest a regular butane torch.

[bravos1]

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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.

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There closing Iris??? How come?