Combining the rich creaminess of a fine custard with a thin layer of caramelised sugar and food theatre of a blowtorch was already a masterstroke, but what happens when you add an Australian craft spiced rum to your crème brûlée?
Remember the first time you had a crème brûlée? As you cracked through the glass-like burnished sugar shell and your spoon sank into the indulgent creamy custard filling?
That exquisite combination of crunchy toffee and opulent silky sweet vanilla filling… surely it can’t get better than that, can it?
Well, actually, it can.
Enter stage left: Stone Pine Distillery’s Dead Man’s Gold spiced rum.
This barrel-aged rum combines the unique flavours of distiller Ian Glen’s superb gold rum with his intelligent infusion of vanilla, macadamia nuts and a few other secret ingredients.
The result is a smooth, elegant spirit with a sumptuous aroma and decadent flavours.
When you combine Dead Man’s Gold with the custard of your crème brûlée, it brings a whole new level to this classic dessert.
Our only complaint: one brûlée is never enough!
How to make a spiced rum brûlée
Makes 4-6 crème brûlées depending on the size of ramekin
Ingredients
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk
- ½ cup thickened cream
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup caster sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
- 15ml Dead Man’s Gold
Method
1. Set your oven to 155℃.
2. Beat eggs and extra yolk together in a large bowl then gradually combine sugar. Add the rum to the egg and sugar, and mix thoroughly.
3. Combine cream, milk and vanilla in another bowl then add to the egg/sugar/rum mixture. This is your custard.
4. Place six ramekins on an oven-proof tray (I used a lasagne pot), pour custard into each of the ramekins leaving a bit of space at the top.
5. Carefully pour hot water into the oven tray until the water level sits at around two thirds up the sides of the ramekins. Don’t get any water in the custard.
6. Set the tray in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until there’s just a bit of wobble left in the centre, then carefully remove the ramekins from the water (please don’t burn your hands doing this - the pots will be hot). When they’re cool, cover the ramekins and put them in the fridge to chill.
You can keep the pots in the fridge like this for about four days - handy if you’re making food ahead of a dinner party.
7. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle a thin layer of fine-grain sugar (caster sugar works well) over the surface of each pot and use a blowtorch to melt and caramelise the sugar. Repeat this step and serve as soon as possible.
If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can use a really hot grill, but there’s a risk of overcooking the custard.
