Orange Saffron Crème Brûlée

Slofoodgroup Team February 09, 2020

A Saffron and Orange Creme Brulee Recipe your Friends will Love

Saffron crème brûlée sounds fancy, but is actually quite easy to make, with only a few ingredients! A simple custard made from eggs, cream, and sugar is gently baked in a water bath and then chilled. Just before serving, the tops are sprinkled with sugar and torched (or “brûléed”), hardening the sugar to create a shell that cracks when a spoon pierces the candied shell. 

This dessert is absolutely delicious, even when simply made but we’ve ramped up the rather plain custard with an infusion of saffron and orange zest, leveling up both the elegance and divinity. The saffron provides a savory contrast to the richness of all the cream and sugar and turns the custard a beautiful golden color. In addition, the tartness from the orange zest contributes a welcome zing that brightens things up considerably.

Be sure to serve them right away, as the caramelized topping will begin to liquefy the longer it sits.

Orange Saffron Crème Brûlée

Ingredients to make this divine custard

• 2 cups heavy cream
• Pinch of saffron threads
• Zest from one large orange
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup + 8 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided

How to make crème brûlée with saffron and orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 300℉. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, saffron and 3/4 of the orange zest (reserve the rest). While the cream is heating, whisk the yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar.
2. When the cream is hot (not boiling), very slowly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the entire mixture through a strainer into a spouted measuring cup.
3. Divide the custard evenly among (4) 8-ounce ramekins or (6) 5-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and fill the pan halfway with hot water. Bake for 1 1/2 hours if using the larger ramekins, or 1 hour if using the smaller ones. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and immediately place in the refrigerator to chill ( this may be done one day in advance).
4. Sprinkle the reserved sugar evenly on top of each custard and use a torch to caramelize (you can also run the ramekins under the broiler if you don't have a torch; watch carefully). Optionally, garnish with reserved orange zest. Serve immediately after torching.

We recommend using only high-quality saffron for this and any recipe.