Sub Rosa - Lavender Creme Brulee

Lavender Creme Brulee

We love creme brulee. The creaminess of the egg custard, the sugary crunch - whats not to like?

At Sub Rosa, we grow our own lavender. There must be a dozen different types of lavender on the property here in Dundee. Contrary to popular opinion, it gets hot in Western Oregon in the summer and the lavender thrives, as does rosemary and other Mediterranean plants. The trick is keeping the roots from being waterlogged in the winter. But we digress.

One of the keys to success in this dish is picking the right size brulee dish or ramekin. Your standard 4.5 oz. kitchen ramekin, 2 inches across and 2 inches deep is the wrong one. You want something low and wide. Four to six inches across and a inch deep at most and you don't fill it up all the way. The point is, you want a high ratio of burnt sugar topping to custard.

Here's what you need:

	2 1/4 cups heavy cream
	1/2 cup sugar
	1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lavender blossoms or generous 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
	1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
	5 large egg yolks
	1/3 cup raw turbino sugar or 8 tsp. of superfine sugar

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place cream, 1/2 cup sugar and lavender in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Add bean. Bring to simmer. Turn off heat. Cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain if using fresh lavender. Return cream mixture to simmer. Remove bean.

Beat egg yolks in 4-cup glass measuring cup until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Divide custard among six 6-ounce ramekins or souffle cups. Place cups in large baking pan. Pour in enough hot water to come half way up sides of cups. Can't let that custard get to hot now.

Bake until just edges are set and 90% of custard jiggles but is not too fluid, about 40 minutes. Cooking time will depend largely on the size of the custard cups you are using. Begin checking at the half hour and check back reguarly.When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it from the oven. Remove from water bath and let cool at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, sprinkle approximately 2 teaspoons of the raw turbino sugar over each creme brulee. For best results, use a small hand-held torch. Hold the torch 4 to 5 inches from the sugar, maintaining a slow and even motion. Stop torching just before the desired degree of doneness is reached, as the sugar will continue to cook for a few seconds after flame has been removed. This can be done up to two hours ahead of time if needed.

If you don't have a torch, place creme brulees 6 inches below the broiler for 4 to 6 minutes or until sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. Just be sure to watch this very very carefully. Once the sugar starts to turn color, it goes fast. You want the sugar to slightly brown, not burn.

Refrigerate creme brulees at least 10 minutes before serving but it can be chilled for 2 hours if need be. Garnish with candied violets or lavender, if desired.

Inspiration: Lane Crowther who crafted most of this recipe for Cooking.com.

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Tips For Storing Left Over Egg Whites

Store Individually - Drop one egg white in each section of a ice cube tray and freeze. Remove the egg white cubes and store in a freezer style zip-lock bag.

Store in Quantity - If you have large quantities of egg whites pour them into an airtight container and freeze. Make sure to measure the whites and mark the container appropriately. To use, remove the container from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.