Crème caramel is a classic for a reason. The creaminess and smooth texture of the custard melts in your mouth, and the flowing caramel sauce on top adds a lovely sweetness and subtle bitterness. Crème caramel and crème brulee are essentially the same dessert, except that crème brulee has a hard layer of caramelized sugar on the top, while the crème caramel is cooked with a layer of caramel at the bottom, which flows over the top of the upturned custard.
In creating this recipe, I thought about a lemon crème brulee recipe from Bon Appetit magazine that I used to make over and over again. I must have made this crème brulee at least five or six times if not more. I loved the little lift the lemon zest brought to the flavor of the custard and the way the slight tartness from the lemon helped to offset some of the sweetness from the dessert. It was also one of those desserts that looked and tasted impressive but which was not actually particularly difficult to make.
Out of this concept, the grapefruit miso crème caramel was born. This recipe is all about balancing flavors. Since crème caramel contains a generous quantity of caramel, I wanted to balance out all of that sweetness with a slightly bitter and very tart citrus. The custard base is infused with grapefruit zest for that little hint of tartness, while the sugar for the caramel is dissolved in a couple of tablespoons of grapefruit juice to bring an unexpected bright flavor to the caramel and play off the slight bitterness of the caramelized sugar.
The next element is the sweet white miso (saikyo miso). I have had glorious results incorporating sweet miso into ice cream bases, pastry creams, and other custards. The flavor of the miso is barely perceptible but you do taste that mild savory note. To me, the miso adds another dimension of flavor to a custard and instead of just tasting sweet or just tasting of vanilla, it has a little bit of extra depth, and that incredibly subtle saltiness that rounds out the flavor and leaves you wanting another taste. I also wanted to add additional warmth to the custard after all of the bright and zingy grapefruit, so I infused a cinnamon stick into the custard.
The results are stunning. Each bite of this grapefruit miso crème caramel is familiar and yet unexpected–rich and creamy, and yet light and refreshing–cooling and yet warm. I would eat this any day of the week and I have a feeling it will become one of your favorites too!
Grapefruit miso crème caramel
Course: Cakes and custardsDifficulty: Quick bake4
crème caramels20
minutes35
minutesThis stunning grapefruit miso crème caramel is smooth and creamy with a comforting cinnamon and miso custard infused with grapefruit zest topped with a bright and zippy caramel made with grapefruit juice. You can play around with the ratio of milk and cream in this recipe. You can use all whole milk for the lightest texture, or go for half cream and half milk if you want a richer texture. For me, the slight touch of cream is just the right amount.
Ingredients
- For the custard
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 Tbsp grapefruit zest
1 Tbsp sweet saikyo miso (optional but recommended)
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
- For the caramel
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from about 1/2 a grapefruit)
Instructions
- Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, along with the cinnamon stick and grapefruit zest. If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the pan and place the empty pod in as well (if using vanilla bean paste or extract, wait until later stage).
- Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let sit for at least 10 minutes while you make the caramel.
- Prepare the caramel. Cut a piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Place it at the bottom with four 6-oz ramekins or oven-safe cups inside (if you want to make smaller creme caramels or you have slightly smaller cups, this will make about 6). To a saucepan, add the granulated sugar and grapefruit juice. Stir over medium heat just to dissolve the sugar, then let the mixture come to a boil without stirring. Occasionally swirl the pan and if granules of sugar are stuck to the sides, moisten a pastry brush with water and brush the sides of the pan. Let the sugar continue to cook until it turns a deep amber color and begins to smoke. You’ll observe the scent changing at the same time.
- Immediately remove from the heat and pour a layer into the bottom of each ramekin, evenly distributing across the ramekins (see photo above the recipe card). Quickly pick up each ramekin before the sugar cools and swirl to ensure the caramel coats the entire bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 300F and fill up a tea kettle with water and bring to a boil. Return to your custard base and strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the zest and cinnamon. If you’re not using a vanilla bean, at this stage, stir in the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Then evenly distribute the custard across the ramekins.
- Pour the boiling water into the pan until it goes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-40 minutes (this will vary depending on the size of your ramekins). Take the crème caramels out when they wobble slightly in the center when the ramekins are nudged. They should not have a large ripple, but just a little center wobble. Remove the pan from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Then remove from the water bath. Let cool for about 20 minutes and then cover the ramekins and refrigerate overnight. These are best enjoyed the next day when the flavors have had time to meld.
- To serve, remove a ramekin from the fridge, run a knife along the sides of the ramekin, and turn over onto a plate. You may need to shake it a little with the plate on the bottom to encourage the crème caramel to come out. If you’re having trouble getting the custard to release or you have a lot of caramel left in the bottom, warm the bottom of the ramekin in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Notes
- The miso is highly recommended in this recipe to balance the flavors. Be sure you’re using sweet “saikyo” miso and not another variety, as other varieties will taste too pungent. If you’re unable to find this at an Asian grocery store, the recipe will still work out just fine if you omit it.
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