Raspberry and lavender crème brûlée

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A good crème brûlée recipe requires you to make the custard from scratch – but it is well worth the effort, particularly with Geoffrey's easy-to-follow recipe from the Sunday Herald. A classic French dessert gets a floral lift here as Geoffrey Smeddle adds a touch of lavender and fresh fruit for a perfect dinner party dessert.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Crème brûlée

Equipment

  • Fine sieve
  • Blow torch
  • 6 ramekins

Method

1
Pre-heat the oven to 150˚C/Gas mark 2
2
Put the cream, milk and lavender in a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the cream
3
Chop the vanilla pod into small pieces and add to the cream, too. Bring the cream to boiling point, then lower the heat and simmer gently for five minutes
4
Beat the sugar and egg yolks together in a large heat-proof bowl until pale and creamy
5
Bring the cream back to boiling point then pour it over the egg mixture, whisking all the time until thickened
6
Place the raspberries in the bottom of six ramekins. Strain the cream through a fine sieve into a large jug, then pour over the raspberries until the ramekins are about two-thirds full
7
Place the ramekins in a large roasting tray, then add hot water to the tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins
8
Place the tray in the centre of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the custards are just set and a bit wobbly in the middle
9
Remove the ramekins from the water and allow to cool to room temperature
10
To serve gently dab the surface of the custards with kitchen paper to remove any condensation, taking care not to damage the smooth surface
11
Sprinkle at least one generous teaspoon of caster sugar over each custard, then spread it evenly with your finger so the whole area is covered
  • 100g of caster sugar
12
Caramelise with a blowtorch until dark golden brown. Let the crème brûlées stand for 10 minutes before serving so the sugar cools

Geoffrey Smeddle, proprietor and chef of The Peat Inn in Fife, started his career working for Herbert Berger at The Café Royal and for Christopher Galvin in London. He then sealed his reputation as one of Scotland’s top chefs by opening Terence Conran's Etain, in Glasgow.

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