Crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts, but did you know you can ‘brûlée’ more than just custard? Light up your kitchen torches friends — we’re going to caramelize all kinds of foods!
When it comes to delicious food, fire is primo. Nothing beats it for taking something from edible to incredible in an instant. I love to toast, char, grill, roast, sear, and, most fun of all, brûlée my food. Brûlée simply means burnt in French, and we’ve come to know it through the insanely wonderful dessert, crème brûlée, which is a soft custard that’s sprinkled with sugar and then caramelized with a butane torch. The surface bubbles and then hardens to a paper thin, crisp crackly sweet crust that shatters when you dig in.
Yesterday I was working on a recipe for a client and I wanted to see if I could ‘brûlée‘ a halved tomato. I sprinkled on some raw sugar and torched the surface. I got the same thin crackly surface as on a creme brûlée dessert. I drizzled it with some balsamic vinegar, added a few basil leaves, and sat down to lunch! The point is, the simple concept of caramelizing a light sprinkling of sugar has possibilities way beyond crème brûlée, and your kitchen torch can be used in lots of surprising ways, here are some of my favorites…
Crème Brûléed Pork Belly | Lady and Pups
Vanilla Crème Brûlée Macarons | Hint of Vanilla
Crème Brûlée Cupcakes | Cooking Classy
Brown Butter Brûléed Doughnut Holes | Joy the Baker
Mango Passionfruit and Yoghurt Brûlée | Drizzle & Dip
Mango Brûlée | Dine & Dish
Butternut Squash Brûlée | Baked by an Introvert
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars | Handle the Heat
Brie Crème Brûlée Crostini | Foodness Gracious
Oatmeal Brûlée | The View from Great Island
Brûléed Persimmon Tarts | The Little Epicurean
Creme Brûlée Pineapple | Tommy Bahama
Creme Brûlée Monte Cristo | Lady and Pups
Brûlée Bananas | Anthology Magazine
Brûléed Lemon Sour |Boxwood Avenue
Creme Brûlée Frozen Custard | Spoon Fork Bacon
Homemade Brûléed Fluff | Alexandra’s Kitchen
Grapefruit Brûlée | The View from Great Island
Raspberry Brûlée | Saveur
These all sound fabulous. Plus they all look fabulous! Great post.
Wow, Sue, my eyes are popping at these amazing photos. I have been looking for the right torch for ages so will definitely check out the one in your shop. All the ones in the US are so much cheaper than in Canada. I’m going to have to ask you to smuggle one up here to me, lol.
What a beautiful collection. I am with you – bruleed meat? OMG!!
What a brilliant round up! I’m craving all the sweets, of course… bring on the doughnut holes, cupcakes, and that pumpkin pie… be still my heart!
One awesome idea after another, I love this post! The banana is my favorite, what a great way to turn something mundane into an exciting and delicious dessert with just one ingredient! 🙂
I love the banana too, it inspired an idea for a new post 🙂
What a fun post! I only use my torch for one task (meringue) so I’m excited to try these!
Such a fun post… I had no idea all these things could be bruleed! It’s got my imagination going, and that’s a little dangerous 🙂
I am going to get my torch and run around the house now, looking for whatever I can brûlée next! This is a wonderful post – thanks for getting me out of the creme brûlée rut and expanding my mind. So creative and all beautiful recipes too.
Hi Sue, wonderful links, never thought to brulee meats, very impressive.
Great round-up! I think I’m one part pyromaniac, because I love to bust out my kitchen torch. Lots of inspiration here 🙂
hah — that’s me too!
oh my my my…now you have me craving some brulee treats! Those pork belly slices are just killing me!!
I know, bruleed meat — where has it been all my life??