What else can I brulee besides creme brulee?

[rcbaughn]

Well, I baked my first creme brulee the other night, and let me say that the custard part is good, but the burnt sugar topping is by far the best thing ever. I have done quite a bit of research trying to find other recipes that use this technique of burning sugar to a crispy state but have come up short.

Does anyone know any other recipes that call for doing this? I mean anything at all that tastes good. I almost want to go buy a bunch of Snack-packs and brulee the tops....... LOL! Thanks in advance for any help.

-Cory

P.S. - Does the brulee on top not taste just like a campfire marshmallow that stayed over the fire a bit too long?! Amazing flavor.

[mexivilla]

Here's another one http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/06/avocado-creme-brulee
from a great list
http://www.buzzfeed.com/stacylambe/99...

[kengk]

I have a shop type propane torch and it blows out if tipped over far enough to brulee something.

[rcbaughn]

Same, just tilt your bowl a bit if you can. With a creme brulee or oatmeal I've had good luck tipping the bowl slightly and barely tipping the torch. It can be annoying though yes.

[1POINT21GW]

When you turn it upside down you're getting LP (liquid propane) instead of gas propane. For around $15 you can get a torch extension hose which allows you to leave your fuel bottle on the floor or countertop while you work.

[ziggylu]

Peep Brulee is an Easter Tradition for my family....

[rcbaughn]

Woah, I found some Peeps in the back of my pantry today....... What do you put them on?! I want to burn those little suckers into something good!

[1POINT21GW]

I think he means you brulee the Peep itself.

[rcbaughn]

Oh, well then, onto an easy sweet treat then. Or maybe on top of a sweet potato casserole..... LOL.

[kattyeyes]

Make 'em into Peep s'mores!

[ziggylu]

He is a she...but yes we just pass the torch around the table and brulee them right on a plate.

We also toast the peeps over our firepit for smores as recommended by kattyeyes.
.

[hill food]

those little fuckers had it coming. all I got to say.

[bonefreakchef]

+1

[eclecticsynergy]

Peeps misbehaving

[kattyeyes]

Nice! And naughty!

[rcbaughn]

Haha, agreed. Little bastards are just too tasty not to burn and eat. And those beady eyes are just asking for it.

[mamachef]

<Falling out laughing. That is the BEST use of a torch - and peeps - that I have ever seen. It's even better than the Sta-Puf Microwave method. :)
Brings new meaning to "crispy critters," eh?

[mexivilla]

Not to my taste but a restaurant here Vista Grill used to do a Foie Gras Brule.

[hill food]

molasses or maple sugared pork chops

go crazy and throw some cilantro and minced hot pepper under the coating

[mamachef]

Woohoo!! MUST try; this is brilliant.

[rcbaughn]

Woah brulee'ing molasses?! I have some that I use for my Mellow Mushroom pizza dough clone, I must try to burn this tonight! I wonder how it would do on top of ice cream burning! Haha, or maybe a nice white chocolate macadamia blondie......... Oh yes, molasses would be good on that, just don't know about brulee'ed!

[hill food]

whoa there Nellie, I was sort of talking out of my a**. I imagine you'd want to cut it with some bourbon so it doesn't get too crunchy.

[rcbaughn]

LOL! I thought it was a brilliant idea! I am going to give it a go later to see how it turns out. I will get a photo when I do as well.

[hill food]

let us know! I often use molasses, brown sugar and bourbon in direct-grill BBQ, just wanted to say one may want to play around a bit with the mix. I lost my propane torch in the last move and the acetylene torch seems, umm, a bit extreme

[rcbaughn]

I am using a shop torch, so it is very very strong. It is slightly larger than Alton Brown's in the Good Eats series. Thank you for the layer idea, I guess I will have to wait a bit after the first layer so it can harden, then come back a few minutes later and do it again. I may try to dry the top as well with the torch a bit, although I guess you don't want ANY burning under the sugar egh?

I am using regular granulated white sugar, a 5 pound Great Value brand actually. I take it that this is okay to use? I have seen bad and good things about using brown sugar since it is hard to distribute evenly. And I am keeping the fire very close to the sugar, almost going as far as burning little spots of the sugar then moving on to the next area of the plate. I haven't been doing the whole slow melt since the things I am brulee'ing are usually in a 9" pie plate and I figure that once I get back around to the other side it will have already cooled and not melt properly. I don't do the whole ramekin thing, I like to consume it all in one sitting. :)

And thank you for the tart and rice pudding ideas, I will go Google them right now! I love Rice Pudding.

[1POINT21GW]

With foods that you can't dry (foods that are inherently wet, like pudding), dust on a light layer of cornstarch then immediately walk back on top of that with your sugar (and, yes, Great Value granulated sugar is perfect - that is what you should be using) and hit it with a torch.

[rcbaughn]

Thank you so much, cornstarch is a staple in my kitchen so I will give that a go next time I make a creme, which may be tonight. I want to try that method to see if I get better desserts. Or I may make something quicker and give it a go before I go to the trouble since I am not that great at custard baking. LOL!

[1POINT21GW]

Please let me know how it turns out.

[kubasd]

Love your screen name... love the movies!

[1POINT21GW]

Thanks! Best movies ever!

[sandylc]

Rice pudding. Brown rice is great. James McNair recipe.

[pine time]

+1 on rice pudding. Or tapioca.

[Emme]

highly recommend combining the brown sugar by a little nonfat dry milk powder, 1:4 ish milk: sugar...

[Eat.Choui]

Lemon Tarts.

[katecm]

I'll second the sweet potatoes. Just make your favorite mashed potatoes, spread in a casserole dish, top with brown sugar, and brulee. Also, this smores pie is awesome: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/smo...

I also like to have mine handy for browning pretty much anything. Roast chicken looking a little blonde? Go ahead and brulee that skin to crisp and brown it up.

[tonifi]

I'm thinking that a torch would make short work of the whole 'browning under the broiler' thing you do with shepherd's pies, casseroles, whatever. And you will have the prettiest meringue on your pies. You have managed to crack me up with your enthusiasm for your torch, though...kinda reminds me of the time my brother borrowed a chainsaw to cut down a dead tree in my yard and then got so enthused he had to be forcibly restrained from chainsawing everything ELSE in the yard, including my clothesline pole!

[katecm]

I may be known to use it to light birthday cakes when they have a lot of candles.

Also, it's a great way to get men exciting about cooking! Fire! Fire!

[rcbaughn]

That sounds great! Honey ham is one of my favorite meats, well I guess pork is at the top of everyones list almost though. The pig is the best of the lot if you ask me. But I am having severe trouble with brulee'ing and Google is doing me no favors. Everything I am trying to brulee isn't burning right. It's like the sugar is instantly melting from the liquid on the dishes before I can hit it with the torch....... Sad stuff. Any tips that anyone has would be VERY welcome. I want some burnt sugar in my life! Haha.

-Cory

[TeRReT]

you were able to brulee the creme brulees ok though?

try a slice of banana first, its pretty simple and doesn't have any liquid. If you can't do that, try just bruleeing a pile of sugar on aluminum foil on a tray. Make sure you aren't inverting your torch too much and make sure its a nice strong focused flame.

You might not be using enough sugar, its normal granulated sugar? The sugar has to stay on top of the food, if there is another liquid dissolving and diluting it before you can apply heat it won't work.

also, make sure the flame is close enough to the food

[1POINT21GW]

What kind of torch are you using?

If it's a "kitchen torch", what you'll want to do is throw it in the trash can, go get a full on blow torch, and buckle up.

Regardless, you have to make sure the food is relatively dry. If you're trying to brulee something that can't be dried, brulee in layers: Put the sugar on the food and brulee (even if the sugar is dissolved, then repeat until you build up a layer of sugar enough to get that bruleed effect you're going for.

[mamachef]

What kind of sugar are you using, rcbaughn?

[1POINT21GW]

Ham. Pat either granulated or crystallized honey on the outside and hit it with a blow torch. You can make a ham better than Honey Baked Hams for waaaaaaaaay less than they charge.

[rcbaughn]

Scallops sound amazing! And I cook french toast at least once a week, and I actually have leftover french bread I baked from a few nights ago that is stale so I think I just planned my dinner. Ha, but yes a torch is quite handy. I have one of the shop ones, not a kitchen one like from Bed, Bath, and Beyond but I have heard that the shop/soldering ones work much better and faster. It was cheap as well, very cheap. And the tank is huge.

I am having a problem with the Snack Pack thing though.... The sugar is melting before I can get the torch to it, which is a matter of seconds literally, maybe due to moisture of some sort I take it. I didn't have this problem with the creme brulee at all. Makes me wonder what limits there are to the brulee technique?

[jester99]

having a torch is awesome. Basically, if you can put sugar on it, you can burn it. Just if you do the snackpak idea, take it out fo the packs, cuz pretty sure the cup will melt. Instant smores for one. if you make french toast, sprinkle some sugar on top and you get an awesome crust. Also, if you are roasting meats, you can use the torch to touchup on certian spots so it looks pretty or crispy skin.

[ipsedixit]

Steak

[laliz]

Brulee Grapefruit

[happybaker]

With the sugar On top? Awesome!

Joy of Cooking used to have you broil grapefruit. Bruleeing is so much more fun!

[rcbaughn]

Wow these all sound amazing! I would've never thought of goat cheese brulee. And I really appreciate you putting thought into it over dinner! I absolutely love this forum, so many great people willing to throw out GREAT ideas!

And brulee'd oatmeal? Sounds like breakfast in 10 mins. :)

[TeRReT]

you can definitely brulee scallops

creme brulee french toast with bruleed bananas on top :P

bruleed cheese cake might work too

you're making me want a torch now :P

[kattyeyes]

Cheesecake brulee is OUTSTANDING--I've never made it, but I had it on vacation years ago and remember it vividly. LOVED your goat cheese idea, too!

[mamachef]

One of the best things in the world is brulee'd breakfast oatmeal. And mixed fruits are wonderful that way.

[sarahjay]

+1 for the brulee oatmeal. Truly spectacular.

[happybaker]

+2.

[eclecticsynergy]

Bruleed oatmeal! God help me, I'm practically drooling at the thought.

HAVE to try that!!

[rcbaughn]

I made this today...... It was scary good. I owe you greatly. It was amazing and very easy to get to burn up nicely without hurting the oatmeal!

[mamachef]

"Scary good" and "hurting the oatmeal." Two great phrases, rcbaughn. So glad you enjoyed.

[rcbaughn]

You have no idea just how good it was though mamachef, you offered the best use of brulee I've found and again I thank you for it.

My southern raising and the lingo used around here tends to make me say things in a different way though. I wouldn't have it any other way, makes people laugh usually, and I love making people happy. Guess that's why I love cooking so much!

[mamachef]

But I DO know how good it is!! I do this all the time!! :)

[TeRReT]

My mom makes a baked mashed sweet potato dish with pecans on top, could easily brulee that, and various crumbles could also be bruleed

i have seen bruleed pears/peaches, and have seen bruleed cappuccinos as well

the possibilities are endless!

[TeRReT]

you can brulee anything you can put sugar on.

Particular favourites of mine are sliced bananas, but also savoury things like a soft goat cheese lend themselves to being bruleed. A nice rolled log of goat cheese, slice a few slices, sprinkle a little sugar, and brulee them, put on top of a cracker or crustini and you've got a great snack or something that can be passed around to guests

you can use the brulee torch for browning any sort of miringue

bruleed pineapple is great

and if you were really crazy you can brulee foie gras

I could come up with more but I'm just about to have dinner, will think of other things while I have dinner :P