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Balsamic-Blackberry Crème Brûlée

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Image may contain Food Dessert Creme Cream and Yogurt
Balsamic-Blackberry Crème BrûléeAlison Miksch

Rich, thick Greek yogurt cloaks balsamic-scented blackberries for a refreshing, lower-fat brûlée.

Oven-Dried Brown Sugar:

Due to the moisture content of brown sugar, it recommended to dry it before caramelizing. Spread light or dark brown sugar out on a baking sheet in a 1/8-inch layer and bake in a preheated 275°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned a shade darker. Let cool, place in a small resealable plastic bag, and crush it thoroughly with a rolling pin or flat metal mallet to make fine crystals. Brown sugar treated in this manner has an excellent flavor when caramelized.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
3 tablespoons 5- to 10-year-old balsamic vinegar
1 2/3 cups unflavored Greek yogurt or other whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup orange blossom honey
6 tablespoons or 12 teaspoons oven-dried brown sugar (see note below) or turbinado sugar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the blackberries and sprinkle with the vinegar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the berries for garnish. Divide the remaining berries among six standard-size flan dishes.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream and divide the mixture among the dishes. Drizzle with the honey. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

    Step 3

    When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown or turbinado sugar over each custard. Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar (see note below). Garnish the top of the caramelized sugar with the reserved blackberries.

From Crème Brûlée by Lou Seibert Pappas. Text copyright © 2005 by Lou Seibert Pappas; photographs copyright © 2005 by Alison Miksch. The Chronicle Books LLC edition published in 2009. Reprinted with permission by Chronicle Books.
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