Courtesy of our friends at AmaWaterways, enjoy this Lavender Crème Brûlée recipe!
When in France, or wishing you were in France, you can savor créme brúlée, one of the most amazing French desserts. Featuring a smooth, rich, creamy custard under that delightfully brittle, carmelized topping, this delicious dessert has been enjoyed by the French since 1691.
Créme brúlée is usually flavored with vanilla – but to give this classic some Provençal oomph, you can add culinary lavender which is just as sweet to taste as it is to breathe in. Lavender is a strong scent so a little bit goes quite a long way.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
6 egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. lavender
2 cups crème fraîche
⅔ cup raw sugar
Preparation:
Boil the milk. Remove from heat and add lavender.
Chill for 12 hours.
In a small mixing bowl, add egg yolks and whip them while incorporating the sugar until the mixture is nearly white.
Strain the chilled milk and place in a saucepan under low heat.
Add the crème fraîche slowly while whisking. Let sit for 45 minutes.
Rinse the ramequins with cold water and don’t wipe dry.
Pour the cream into the ramequins and put them into a water bath with water to mid-height.
Place in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
To serve sprinkle raw sugar on top of the crèmes and caramelize using a kitchen torch (or broil for 5 minutes).
Flavor Pairings with Lavender
Lavender which is sweet and fragrant, has been cultivated for centuries for its many uses, such as beauty, essential oils, therapeutic gifts but of course for culinary uses. Lavender’s perfume complements a variety of sweet as well as savory tastes. Pair it with strawberries, blueberries, pears, lemon, orange, honey, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest and chocolate for delicious flavor combinations.
Use some lavender from your garden or you can purchase in the store, just make sure you are choosing culinary lavender because not all forms of the flower are edible.
Ready to plan your river cruise?
See AmaWaterways’ original recipe post by clicking here. Travel to France to taste the many flavors of the Provençal region with AmaWaterways’ Essence of Burgundy & Provence and Colors of Provence itineraries.