If you're a fan of creamy desserts and the unique flavors of horchata, then this recipe is a match made in heaven for you. Horchata Crème Brûlée combines the classic French dessert with the rich and comforting taste of horchata, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavors.
Horchata is one of my favorite drinks. I order it every time we eat Mexican food. It is the perfect companion to spicy dishes.
Creme brulee is my favorite dessert. So to me, horchata creme brulee is a match made in heaven.
Get ready to indulge in the velvety custard, adorned with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. In this blog post, we'll explore the process of creating this decadent treat and why it deserves a spot on your dessert table.
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I wrote an entire guide on how to make the perfect creme brulee.
If you love creme brulee you will also want to check out my recipes for blueberry creme brulee, Nutella creme brulee, peach creme brulee, rhubarb creme brulee, mango creme brulee, or sweet corn creme brulee.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Delicious Flavor: The combination of creamy custard and the distinct taste of horchata, often with cinnamon and other spices, creates a delightful and refreshing flavor.
- Texture Contrast: The smooth and creamy custard with the crisp and caramelized sugar topping provides a satisfying contrast in textures.
- Fusion of Cultures: It blends French and Latin American/Spanish influences, making it an exciting fusion of flavors and culinary traditions.
- Impressive Dessert: Horchata Crème Brûlée is visually appealing, making it an impressive and elegant dessert to serve for special occasions or when entertaining guests.
What is Horchata
Horchata is a traditional drink that is popular in many Latin American and Spanish-speaking countries. It is typically made with a combination of white rice, water, sugar, and various flavorings such as cinnamon or vanilla.
The rice is soaked, ground, and then mixed with water to create a milky beverage. The mixture is sweetened with sugar and often enhanced with spices to add a unique and refreshing flavor.
Horchata is known for its creamy texture and subtly sweet taste, making it a popular choice for cooling down on hot days or enjoying as a refreshing treat.
Ingredients
Because there are so few ingredients, now is the time to spring for the best quality ingredients you can afford.
Horchata: You can use either store-bought or homemade horchata.
Heavy Whipping Cream: Some recipes use a combination of both heavy whipping cream and whole milk to make the custard lighter. In my opinion, creme brûlée is meant to be rich so this recipe uses only heavy whipping cream.
Room Temperature Egg Yolks: For creme brûlée you want to use just the egg yolks. Egg whites would set too firmly giving the creme brûlée a rubbery texture.
If you have never separated eggs before, check out this post from Sugar Hero where she shares four methods for separating eggs.
Save the egg whites for another recipe. My favorite way to use egg whites is in this Angel Food Cake from Alton Brown.
Granulated White Sugar: Use the sugar to sweeten the custard as well as for creating the crispy brulee topping.
Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla. It may be a little more expensive but the flavor is so much better.
Cinnamon: Horchata is traditionally flavored with cinnamon.
Kosher Salt: As always salt is included to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Creme brulee does require a couple of pieces of specialized equipment.
Large Measuring Cup: I like to mix my custard into a large measuring cup to make pouring the custard into the ramekins easier. If you are planning to wait to bake your creme brulee, you can use this large glass measuring cup that comes with a lid for easy storage.
Ramekins: These wide shallow ramekins work best. Deeper ramekins take longer to bake, allowing the edges to be overcooked before the center has set.
The wider ramekins also allow for a higher ratio of crunchy sugar crust to creamy custard.
Cake Pan: Like most cheesecakes creme brûlée is baked in a bain-marie or water bath. Surrounding the creme brulees with water allows them to cook gently and will help keep them from cracking.
Kitchen Torch: Butane torches have a number of uses in the kitchen. They can char peppers, toast meringue, melt cheese, and brown bread crumbs. The kitchen torches from EurKitchen and Sondiko have consistently been rated high on top kitchen torch lists.
A few months ago my brulee torch died. So I used my boyfriend's propane torch that has a detachable torch head instead. Those were the fastest brûlées I have ever made.
Directions
Prepare the oven. Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
Add the heavy cream, horchata, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
For perfectly smooth custard use a spoon to skim off any foam.
Create a bain-marie or water bath: To ensure gentle and even cooking, place your ramekins in a pan of water. You can use a cake pan, roasting pan, or jelly roll pan—whatever you have on hand.
Create a stable base: Lay a towel at the bottom of the pan to prevent the ramekins from sliding around while cooking.
Pour the custard: Fill each ramekin with the custard mixture. If you prefer a smooth surface, skim off any bubbles from the top using a spoon. Don't worry too much about imperfections, as they will be covered by the burnt sugar crust.
Add hot water: Place the pan in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the pan, ensuring it reaches about halfway up the ramekins. Be cautious not to splash water into the custard.
Bake: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Keep an eye on the creme brulee, as baking time may vary depending on the size and shape of your ramekins. Look for set edges but slightly jiggly centers to know it's done.
Cool the custard. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the custards to cool for approximately 15 minutes until you can safely pick up the ramekins and remove them from the water. Allow the custards to cool on the counter for an additional 15 minutes.
Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for at least four hours and up to four days.
Brulee the sugar topping. Remove the custards from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle each custard with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Ignite your torch and hold the flame about 4 inches from the surface of the custard. Using a circular motion heat the sugar until it browns and forms a crust.
The longer you brulee the sugar, the darker, more caramelized, and bitter it will become. The bitterness contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the custard.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your Horchata Crème Brûlée chilled or at room temperature, allowing the contrasting textures of the creamy custard and the crackling caramelized sugar to tantalize your taste buds.
For an extra touch of indulgence, you can garnish each custard with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, fresh berries, and a dollop of whipped cream.
I like to serve creme brulee after a spicy meal. These are my favorite dishes to serve with Horchata Creme Brulee:
Storage
Cooked creme brulee can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Remember to wait to top with and brulee the sugar until just before serving. Otherwise, the sugar crust will become soggy.
I don't recommend freezing creme brulee. Most likely the custard will separate when it thaws.
Tips
- Use a water bath: Bake the ramekins in a water bath (bain-marie) to provide gentle and even heat distribution. The water bath helps prevent the custard from overheating and ensures a silky texture.
- Don't rush the cooling process: After baking, allow the creme brulee to cool at room temperature for a while before transferring it to the refrigerator. This gradual cooling helps prevent cracking.
- Chill thoroughly: Make sure to refrigerate the custards for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, to allow them to set and develop their flavors fully.
- Caramelize the sugar just before serving: Sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar on top of each custard just before serving. Use a kitchen torch to carefully melt and caramelize the sugar, creating the signature crisp and caramelized crust. Alternatively, you can use the broiler, but keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.
- Serve immediately: For the best texture and contrast, serve the creme brulee immediately after caramelizing the sugar. The contrast between the cool custard and warm caramelized sugar is part of the dessert's charm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make creme brulee ahead of time. It is actually recommended to prepare it a day in advance to allow it to chill and set properly.
Straining the custard before pouring it into the ramekins helps remove any lumps or bits that may affect the texture. Also, avoid overcooking the custard to prevent it from becoming grainy.
The most commonly used sugar for the caramelized crust is granulated white sugar. However, you can also use brown sugar or even specialty sugars like demerara or turbinado for a slightly different flavor and texture.
It is generally not recommended to freeze creme brulee, as freezing can affect its texture and result in a watery custard upon thawing. It is best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated for a few days.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Horchata Crème Brûlée is a delightful twist on a classic dessert, infusing the velvety smoothness of crème brûlée with the comforting flavors of horchata. The creamy custard and the crisp, caramelized sugar topping create a heavenly combination that is sure to impress your guests or satisfy your own dessert cravings.
📖 Recipe
Horchata Creme Brulee
Equipment
- medium bowl
- ramekins
- roasting pan
- kitchen torch
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup horchata store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- additional granulated white sugar for the caramelized topping
Instructions
- Prepare the oven. Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the 6 large egg yolks, ½ cup granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt until smooth.
- Add the 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup horchata , and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- To ensure gentle and even cooking, place your ramekins in a pan of water. You can use a cake pan, roasting pan, or jelly roll pan—whatever you have on hand.
- Lay a towel at the bottom of the pan to prevent the ramekins from sliding around while cooking.
- Fill each ramekin with the custard mixture. If you prefer a smooth surface, skim off any bubbles from the top using a spoon. Don't worry too much about imperfections, as they will be covered by the burnt sugar crust.
- Place the pan in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the pan, ensuring it reaches about halfway up the ramekins. Be cautious not to splash water into the custard.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Keep an eye on the creme brulee, as baking time may vary depending on the size and shape of your ramekins. Look for set edges but slightly jiggly centers to know it's done.- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the custards to cool for approximately 15 minutes until you can safely pick up the ramekins and remove them from the water. Allow the custards to cool on the counter for an additional 15 minutes.
- Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for at least four hours and up to four days.
- Brulee the sugar topping. Remove the custards from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle each custard with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- Ignite your torch and hold the flame about 4 inches from the surface of the custard. Using a circular motion heat the sugar until it browns and forms a crust.
- The longer you brulee the sugar, the darker, more caramelized, and bitter it will become. The bitterness contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the custard.
Notes
- Cooked creme brulee can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Remember to wait to top with and brulee the sugar until just before serving. Otherwise, the sugar crust will become soggy.
- I don't recommend freezing creme brulee. Most likely the custard will separate when it thaws.
Nutrition
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