Vegan Creme Brulee, and a Free Torch

Yes, rich delicious vegan creme brulee, without the heavy cream and egg yolks! Of course, the best part is the crunchy sugary top- and what better way to make that than to pull out the heavy artillery and TORCH IT (evil laughter)!

That's why I'm GIVING AWAY one of these babies, courtesy of CSN Stores and Cookware.com. Just leave a comment about how you'll use your torch, and the most creative one wins! You must live in the US to win. Good luck.

I had fun making these, and they were pretty easy too. Excellent reviews on them, although I prefer not to burn the sugar too much (like I did on my first one), but I've been told that's how some people like it. The torch worked beautifully, and I can't wait to set fire to something else!

These small annatto seeds add color

To make the custard part a lovely shade of yellow, I used annatto seeds for the first time. They don't add much to the flavor, but the color is much better than the neon yellow of tumeric. You can find them at most health food stores in bulk or Asian stores. They were expensive, but I only bought a couple of tablespoons and that should last me a while.

Vegan Almond Creme Brulee (Makes 2-3 servings)
If you don't have a good high-powered blender for this recipe, use powdered annatto.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. vanilla soy milk (or almond milk)
1 T. agar flakes
2 tsp. arrowroot (cornstarch should work too)
2 oz. (roughly) marzipan (almond paste)
5-6 annatto seeds (or 1/4 tsp. powdered)
1 T. sugar + 1-2 T. for topping

Spinz:

Whisk together everything except marzipan and the sugar for the topping in a small sauce pan. Heat until low simmer, whisking until agar appears to be dissolved. Cut marzipan into cubes and put into the blender. Add hot mixture and blend until very smooth. Pour into ramekin(s) and bake at 325 degrees in a water bath for about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pour sugar in a even layer on top of the custard. Torch in a circular pattern until desired darkness is achieved.

Note: This custard held up, but was very soft. If you like your custard more stiff, add another tsp. of agar.

Vegan Coconut Creme Brulee (Makes 2-3 servings)

Ingredients:

About 2 C. coconut milk (one 13.5 oz. can- I hate to use part of a can)
1 T. + 1 tsp. agar flakes
2 tsp. arrowroot
6-8 annatto seeds
3 T. sugar + about 2 T. for topping
Spinz:

This was made similar to the one above, except I chilled it instead of baking. Then I added the sugar topping and torched away!

Note: This custard was a bit stiffer than the almond, and more like flan (first picture above).

By the way...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I miss you, Mom- I know you're smiling down on me.