Baked: Lemon-Ginger Creme Brulee

Whenever a friend’s birthday approaches, I ask them what he or she would like me to make. Some people always know what they want, while others would be happy with almost anything. After years of asking one indecisive friend what she’d like, I took a risk this year and decided to just make something with her favorite flavors. Luckily, I was right – she loved it. Like practically-licked-the-bowl loved it. I decided to make a classy creme brulee incorporating lemon and ginger. I didn’t realize that this friend had never tasted creme brulee, so it was an important milestone. The dessert was a success, and although neither of us are huge fans of ginger, for a while we all sat in silence with only the sounds of our spoons scraping the ramekin bottoms. The cream is smooth, luscious and melts in your mouth. I added bits of candied ginger into each bowl for an extra pop. The cream isn’t very sweet, which makes it perfect when combined with the crunchy sugar topping. Note: you do need a kitchen torch for this, but they aren’t expensive and are worth keeping around for an emergency brulee. This recipe makes enough for about two standard ramekins, which is perfect for you and a date, but double or triple as needed for more. Happy baking! Lemon-Ginger Creme Brulee Adapted from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated 2 Servings 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp. plus 3 to 5 tsp. sugar, divided Pinch of salt 3 large yolks Zest of 1 lemon 1 tsp. lemon oil or lemon extract 1 Tbsp. candied ginger, divided • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place a large pot or kettle of water on the stove to heat. Put two ramekins in a large baking pan with high sides. • In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cream, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of sugar and the salt until the sugar dissolves. Set aside and let cool. • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and add the lemon extract. Slowly add in the cooled cream mixture, whisking constantly. • Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, then divide it evenly between the ramekins. Drop ½ tablespoon candied ginger into each ramekin. • Place the baking pan on the oven rack and pour the hot water into the pan until it is about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Gently push the rack into the oven and close. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes*, until the centers are still slightly jiggly and just barely set. • Let them cool to room temperature, then cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. • Evenly sprinkle the remaining 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar on top of each chilled creme brulee. Use a kitchen torch to evenly melt the sugar until it browns. • Refrigerate uncovered another 20 to 30 minutes, then serve. *Bake time will depend on the depth of the ramekins. The center of each ramekin should be 170 to 175 degrees according to an instant-read thermometer.