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I always find it a welcome surprise when Meyer lemons pop up in the grocery store this time of the year. They seem so out of place during the bleak mid-winter, but I do appreciate them. They’re cheery, a reminder of summer, and a hope of warmer days to come.
Meyer lemons are hard to pass up, so I always buy several with big plans on how to use their fresh, perky flavor. I tend to let them linger as long as I can, as a bright spot in our kitchen, grabbing one as I pass by to take a whiff for a little pick me up, a bit of aromatherapy if you will.
This year they first found their way into crème brûlée. I have to admit, a well proportioned, quality vanilla crème brûlée is pretty hard to beat in my book, but the subtlety of the Meyer lemon addition was just enough without being distracting or overwhelming, like many lemon desserts can often times be.
Although it has a fancy reputation, but crème brûlée is pretty simple when you break it down. Plus the beauty of crème brûlée is that it can be made well ahead of serving time, and then “flamed,” as my kids like to call it, before serving. Perfect for a party I’d say. (Or maybe just a plain old day too?)
Do you have any favorite recipes using Meyer lemons, or other crème brûlée flavors you enjoy? Do share!
Note: The recipe I’m sharing is the basic crème brûlée recipe that I make with a bit of Meyer lemon zest added, so if you’re in the mood for plain vanilla, just leave out the zest. No other changes will be necessary.
Also, as far as sugars for the crispy crème brûlée top, I’ve used demerara, regular granulated sugar, and caster (superfine) sugar. All will work, but I prefer a good layer of the caster sugar. I’ve found it melts quicker and more evenly. But caster sugar can be hard to find, so another option, if you’d like to try the finer sugar, is to pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor a few times, not until it’s powdered sugar, but finer than regular granulated sugar.
I have a love affair with France.
I’ve always wanted to go to Europe…maybe this is why: The Food!!!
The closest I’ve ever been is Epcot in Disney World. You know, they have the little Eiffel Tower and everything!
They even have an excellent French restaurant, where Logan and I had the most excellent crème brûlée that I’ve ever tasted. It had to have been authentic in Disney, right?
It has a candle in it because we were celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary.
Anyway, I know how bad crème brûlée is for me, so I decided it was time to make it a little healthier!
It doesn’t taste anything like coconut, but you can rest assured that it is not as bad for you.
It uses light coconut milk instead of the heavy cream that most other crème brûlée recipes call for.
The only catch is that it requires a long baking time.
But, it’s worth it!
See…all gone!
Coconut Crème Brûlée
adapted from got not milk
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) light coconut milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- sugar (for topping)
How-To
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Beat first 4 ingredients together.
- Pour into 4-8 ramekins, depending on how big they are.
- Place the ramekins in a large baking dish and fill halfway up with boiling water.
- Bake for 50-120 minutes or until set (not more giggling when shaken). Timing will depend on how big your ramekins are. If you have to bake them longer, you’ll probably need to add more boiling water to the baking dish if it’s running low.
- Cool on the counter until cool enough to put in the refrigerator.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Sprinkle each ramekin with sugar.
- Torch the top until caramelized and light brown.
- Serve right away (or place back in the refrigerator).
Servings: 4
