May 8, 2010

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.

13 comments:

  1. I bake a lot of artisan bread. I would use the torch to brown my signature into each loaf. It would be the ultimate artisan touch!

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  2. Thank you for stopping by. I would love to participate in this giveaway, but I have never used one of these tools. There is always a a first time and if I would win one I would definitely try to create many great dishes with it.

    http://nuestracena-vegancuisine.blogspot.com

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  3. Oh so cool! I'm not really big on eating creme brulee, but It's one of my favorite things to make because of the torch! This one does look really tasty though. :)

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  4. I share your thoughts on Mother's Day. It's not easy sometimes. My mother diet on Mother's Day (3 years cancer) when I was 14.

    Sometimes it tough, sometimes it's okay.

    Best to you, Mark

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  5. Aside from the fact that your creme brulee looks out of this world, I'd use a torch to attempt some lemon meringue cupcakes (attempt - key word). Thanks for the giveaway and your always insanely awesome dessert recipes!

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  6. how awesome! i would love to get one of these... i'd probably start with the basic dessert recipes, but i can imagine it would be awesome to caramelize some onions or other entrees... plus, i could use it to keep my husband from snacking on dinner before it's ready!

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  7. Oh, oh, oh! I've always wanted one of these. It would be so fun to use on a baked alaska ice cream pie. Your creme brullee might actually be first though.

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  8. I would love to have a torch to toast a bunch of vegan marshmallows and make smores!

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  9. Ooh! I would love to make some lovely sugar tweels, like they do on Iron Chef!

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  10. Wow! How about a candied apple cupcake with a crunchy candy topping created by torch?! Possible? Then, I'd use it to light some candles for a romantic dinner. :)

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  11. That looks fantastic! I never liked regular creme brulee because it was just too "eggy" - so I think this would do the trick. What a great idea...I am going to have to try this sometime! Kim - www.affairsofliving.com

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  12. One of the torches would make this vegasvegan light up her culinary reportie and kick some major foodie sASS! I have been attempting to perfect vegan creme brulee for all my chef buddies(i am a professional line cook working the casino strip in las vegas). they are the naysayers and i think this torch would make that perfect irresistable sugary crackle that would convert anyone, even paula deen!

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  13. This looks very healthy, I like the recipe.
    calphalon bakeware

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