Crème Brûlée

This month’s Sugar High Friday is all about what we crave or can’t pass over on the dessert tray.

I’d thought about cheesecakes, frozen towers of ice cream, pecan pie and even the peanut butter-chocolate-corn flake clusters my cousin makes every Christmas. But it’s the perfectly candy sealed custard package of crème brûlée that I just CAN NOT resist.

I mean, who can deny any editable that requires a blow torch? The simple thought of the initial crack is divine. It’s a dessert to match any mood. Crack it forcefully, intertwining the crystal chards of sugary heaven into the custard or shyly chip away the crust to allow for the perfect custard : sugar pairing. Even when it could be considered a heavier dessert, I can always find room for crème brûlée.

The not so sweet custard can be matched with a myriad of flavours like cocoa, caramel or hazelnut. Topped with a perfectly even, crisp crust of hyper-melted sugar, je suis dans un rêve. Mmm Je t’aime.

VEGAN CRÈME BRÛLÉE

1 Package Soft Silken Tofu
1/2 Cup Fruit Sugar
1/3 Cup Soy Milk
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder
1 Pinch of Salt
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar to brûlée the tops

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC)
Drain and slightly press the tofu while you prepare the remaining ingredients and tools.
Prepare 6 ramekins and a shallow brownie baking pan, cutting a piece of parchment to evenly cover the pan.
Boil a kettle full of water.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tofu, sugar, vanilla, soy milk and salt.
Once smooth, whisk in the arrowroot with the motor running.
Pour prepared custard into the ramekins and distribute them into the baking pan.
Carefully pour the boiling water from the kettle into the bottom of the pan so the water comes 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins; taking care not to splash water into the custard.
Cover the pan with the parchment paper and slowly transfer everything into the oven.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until set. The centers may have a slight jiggle, but well set more as they cool.
Remove the ramekins from the water and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about an hour.
To brûlée the custards, sprinkle enough sugar to evenly coat each top (about 1 tsp). Using a hand held blowtorch, pass the tip of the flame over the sugar until it begins to turn amber and caramelize.
Once finished, the caramel should be thin, crisp and crackly.