The first time I truly remember creme brulee was when I worked at a restaurant in uptown Minneapolis, and I got to sample some one night. I’m certain I ate it prior to this, but there is no recollection before this moment. It was because I never saw the fantastic way these desserts are finished.

Sugar + Fire = Absolutely Amazing!

Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at crème brulee at home a few times, but not often and not super successfully at first. Confidence grew with the different attempts until I hit the point of achievement with serving this for dessert at a plated me.

Fast forward to February this year and came a request came in to make this for a family members’ birthday dinner, but add a twist – pistachio flavor crème brulee. Of course, the request was accepted.

And here are all the pictures of various forms of pistachio. There was toasted pistachios and Pistachio Butter (an amazing discovery). This is something that will be in my regular pantry/fridge rotation. Aside from adding a great depth to this recipe, it is a perfect addition to wheat toast or drizzled over ricotta.

As this website may reference, I do a lot more ‘cooking’ than ‘baking’. Where I do not shy away from baking and can be quite good at it, I usually lean in more on meal cooking than the desserts that may go with it. What I have learned a lot of in my years of watching food shows and reading recipes is that baking is the combination of precise measurements, heat, and accurate timing. That has not always worked for me. I have had a few failed attempts at crème brulee or other desserts in the past.

With this dessert, I relied mostly on instinct, along with visual and scent cues. The original recipe I found had variations of how to impart pistachio flavor – my thought was that I would toast the pistachio to pull out the full richness of the nut, the pistachio butter (couldn’t find paste and not sure if it is the same thing) was added to enhance with the vanilla bean. Then instead of following the perfect recipe timing – I watched the cream come to a simmer, tasting periodically, until I knew that it had all the flavor that it needed to.

In the baking process, it took far longer than the 25-30 mins for me and I relied on sight and what the texture should be – set, but a little jiggly in the center, but not loose all around before you take them out. Then I had fun with the fresh whipped cream, mint, and edible flower garnish on the desserts. I feel I’m really getting the hang of this baking thing.

Pistachio Crème Brulee

Ingredients:

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 Tbls pistachio butter
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• 2 vanilla beans, halved and seeds scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar, with more for dusting

Preparation:

In a 3 quart sauce pot, whisk together heavy cream and pistachio butter. Then add pistachios and vanilla beans and bean. Over medium to medium-high heat, bring cream up to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat slightly and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

While cream is simmering, whisk together egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar until encorporated, texture is slightly creamy and the color lightens slightly – approximately 1-2 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325° and start bringing 2 quarts of water to a boil on the stove. Arrange 8 – 4 oz ramekins in a deep baking dish.

When the cream mixture has simmered 20 minutes, remove from the stove and position to start tempering in with the egg/sugar mixure. While whisking, slowly pour a half cup of the warm cream into eggs mixture until combined. Continue 3-4 more times with approximately a half cup each time until you have warmed the eggs, but are not cooking the eggs. Strain the rest of the cream mixture into the egg while continuing to whisk until it’s fully mixed together. Strain one more time through a fine mesh seive into another bowl to remove any nuts or imperfections.

Ladel mixture into ramekins evenly. You should be able to fill to top. Carefully pour boiling water into the pan – it should be about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover pan with tinfoil and carefully place in the oven. Start checking the texture of the creme at 25-30 minutes. You want the consistency to jiggle like jello, but not be liquid in the center. If not done, add additional 5-10 minute increments and check in between until texture is achieved.

Remove cremes from oven and from pan. Let cool slightly for approximately 5 minutes. Then place in fridge to cool and set for 2 hours. Do not cover right away or you will get condensation on the creme and it will be difficult to brulee. Once fully set and chilled, the ramekins can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving.

To serve, lightly sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the top of the creme. Using a food safe torch, hold the flame close enough to melt the sugar, but not too close to burn it (it will start smoking). It is ready to serve.

Other garnishes could be whipped cream with mint leaf and edible dehydrated flower pedals, crushed pistachios, or berries.

Happy Brulee’ing!!!

*Recipe is an adaptation of Food Network Bobby Flay’s Pistachio Creme Brulee.