Hello! I’m still plugging away at all things pumpkin and truly loving it! Today is a new one for me. Have you had crème brûlée? Have you made crème brûlée? Honestly, it never appealed to me until this past June when my niece (also named June) made it for my nephew’s high school graduation get together. She’s 13 and a marvelous baker!
After the tacos were eaten and grad gifts opened, we took turns sugaring and torching her sweet little crème brûlées. We enjoyed cracking the tops and what waited underneath that burnt sugar was absolutely divine! The custard was silky, sweet and full of vanilla flavor. I was in love and vowed to make crème brûlée someday.
Guess what? Someday came! With pumpkin baking mode hitting me hard, I decided it’s the perfect time to experiment with this simple yet decadent dessert and give it a fall twist. Vanilla crème brûlée + pumpkin + pumpkin spice + bourbon. Who’s with me?
I looked up several recipes and they’re all pretty much the same: cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. I added pumpkin, pumpkin spice and bourbon to up the fall flavor.
These little cups of heaven are really easy! While the cream is heating, whisk yolks, sugar, vanilla and spices. Slowly add the warm cream to the yolk mixture (if you pour too quickly, you’ll have scrambled eggs). Lastly, fold in the pumpkin and bourbon. That’s it!
Pour the mixture into ramekins and place in a baking dish. Put them in the oven then add boiling water until it’s about halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 25-35 minutes. I only have 3 small ramekins so I used a combination of small and large. The small look much better but they all tasted the same.
After they finish baking, transfer to a cooling rack for 30 minutes then put them in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours. Once chilled, sprinkle sugar on top and torch them. Have fun! If you don’t have a torch, just stick them under your oven broiler.
Crack those babies and enjoy all the creamy delight under that hardened sugar. They’re so luscious and have all the flavors of fall without being overly sweet. I polished one off in a matter of seconds and knew I had to step away from the brûlée so I’d have some left for photos. I can’t tell you how much I love pumpkin and pumpkin spice things. The flavors and textures of this dessert make me very, very, very happy!
You can whip these up in no time! The longest wait time is when they’re chillin’ in the fridge. They’d be perfect for a fall party or shower, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, any fall weekday or family weekend dessert. Heck, take them to a football tailgate (any Browns fans out there?)!
These little dishes of yum definitely enhanced our evening of shorts, t-shirts and backyard track ball. Don’t wait for a special occasion. Make your own occasions feel special! Pumpkin Crème Brûlée won’t let you down!
From the heart,
Shannon
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup pumpkin purée
3 tsp. bourbon
4 TBSP sugar for torching
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla bean paste in a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium low until it just simmers. Slowly whisk the milk into the yolk mixture. Fold in the pumpkin and bourbon.
- Place six 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins in a roasting pan.
- Divide the pumpkin mixture evenly among the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven and fill with just enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the centers are just set but still jiggle a bit. Could take 25-35 minutes.
- Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled completely, at least 4-6 hours.
- To serve, sprinkle each ramekin with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Brulee with a kitchen torch until the sugar is melted and golden brown. (You can also place the ramekins under a broiler until the sugar is golden brown, about 2 minutes.)
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