I have been craving Creme Brulee for a long time ... and was ecstatic to find out I could make it in a crockpot not too long ago (since we don't have a real oven in our apartment). I splurged and bought some heavy cream the other day at the grocery store, figuring I'd be forced to make something with it before it went bad. Oh darn. :)
Crockpot Creme Brulee
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (they suggested baker's sugar, but I used regular sugar - you can put it in a food processor and get a similar effect, just put in a little extra)
1 T good vanilla (I only used a teaspoon, and I should have put in the whole Tablespoon)
1/4 cup raw sugar (for topping, add later)*
*Since we don't have an oven, I did the caramelized sugar topping a little differently. Keep reading to find out how.
Now for the caramelized sugar topping. Since we don't have an oven with a broiler, or a fancy torch, I attempted this on the stove in a saucepan, but it definitely didn't work. So we just had the "creme" without the brulee. But theoretically, this can be drizzled on top of the custards, returning the dishes to the fridge afterwards to harden the sugar.
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 c. water
Combine sugar and cream of tartar in pan, and add water, stirring well. Cook on medium-low until boiling, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. (I skipped this step - bad! Which is probably why it didn't work - it's supposed to "steam" off all the sugar granules, which would end up crystallizing the rest of the mixture - and that's what happened to me.) Remove cover, and cook until a dark golden brown color. Remove from heat, and drizzle over tops of creme brulee dishes. (This gives a nice thick layer of sugar to "break", too!)
YUM!
*Since we don't have an oven, I did the caramelized sugar topping a little differently. Keep reading to find out how.
Find a heat-resistant dish, or ramekins, that fits inside of your stoneware insert. Fit it in, and using a cup or pitcher, pour water around the edges so there is water 1/2 - 3/4 of the way up the sides of the dishes.
--whip the 5 egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl
--slowly add the cream and baking sugar while mixing
--add the vanilla
Pour mixture into the ramekins, and carefully lower them into the stoneware without sloshing water into the dishes, or spilling your "creme brulee"!
Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours. (I cooked 4 smaller ramekins, and they took just 2 hours.) Custard should be set with the center still a bit jiggly.
VERY carefully remove dishes and let cool completely on counter, then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. I got creative and used a sturdy metal spatula to get them out of the crockpot, as tongs didn't work so well. (Let's just say, ouch.)
Now for the caramelized sugar topping. Since we don't have an oven with a broiler, or a fancy torch, I attempted this on the stove in a saucepan, but it definitely didn't work. So we just had the "creme" without the brulee. But theoretically, this can be drizzled on top of the custards, returning the dishes to the fridge afterwards to harden the sugar.
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 c. water
Combine sugar and cream of tartar in pan, and add water, stirring well. Cook on medium-low until boiling, then cover and cook for 3 minutes. (I skipped this step - bad! Which is probably why it didn't work - it's supposed to "steam" off all the sugar granules, which would end up crystallizing the rest of the mixture - and that's what happened to me.) Remove cover, and cook until a dark golden brown color. Remove from heat, and drizzle over tops of creme brulee dishes. (This gives a nice thick layer of sugar to "break", too!)
YUM!
Oh, and we did eat some real dinner tonight, too. :) A quick and easy meal, that I'm definitely going to do again, when we don't have anything else around. It will be easy for us to make frequently because we pretty much always have chicken breasts and veggies from Costco in the freezer.
2-Step Creamy Chicken and Pasta
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
2-4 servings pasta
2 c. frozen veggies
1 can Campbell's® Cream Soup (whichever kind - I used Cream of Celery, lower in fat, nice flavor and Jeff won't eat mushrooms, so Cream of Mushroom was out!)
1/2 cup water
Brown the chicken in vegetable oil (I added half an onion once the chicken was cooked - added a nice flavor). Salt & Pepper chicken part-way through. Add the frozen veggies, can of soup, and 1/2 c. water. Let this all come to a boil, and cover (this will cook the veggies, and combine soup, water, etc.). Meanwhile, cook pasta. Once it's nearly finished, drain, and add to the chicken, veggie, soup mixture. Continue to simmer for a few moments to let ingredients combine. Then, enjoy!
This was super quick and easy, and quite tasty. Nothing fancy, but it does the job, and was filling! We have enough for a few "leftover" meals, too!
2-Step Creamy Chicken and Pasta
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
2-4 servings pasta
2 c. frozen veggies
1 can Campbell's® Cream Soup (whichever kind - I used Cream of Celery, lower in fat, nice flavor and Jeff won't eat mushrooms, so Cream of Mushroom was out!)
1/2 cup water
Brown the chicken in vegetable oil (I added half an onion once the chicken was cooked - added a nice flavor). Salt & Pepper chicken part-way through. Add the frozen veggies, can of soup, and 1/2 c. water. Let this all come to a boil, and cover (this will cook the veggies, and combine soup, water, etc.). Meanwhile, cook pasta. Once it's nearly finished, drain, and add to the chicken, veggie, soup mixture. Continue to simmer for a few moments to let ingredients combine. Then, enjoy!
This was super quick and easy, and quite tasty. Nothing fancy, but it does the job, and was filling! We have enough for a few "leftover" meals, too!
Alot of my recipes early on in marriage I used cream of mushroom soup...:P You are much more adventurous than I was!
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