Recipe of the Week – Crème Brûlée French Toast

DIY brunch.

Writer NUVO Staff

The sun is shining for a lot of us, which means brunch on the patio is back in play. For those that who want the food but prefer to stay in, this recipe from Honey Salt in Vancouver is the perfect middle ground. A crème brûlée French toast that uses brioche and vanilla, this recipe is perfect for a solo treat or to impress any early- in the day guests. For added points, garnish the finished product with berries and caramel sauce.

Ingredients:

1 loaf brioche
Butter
Brown sugar
Berries, for garnish (optional)
Caramel sauce (optional)

For the cream filling:

1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean
4tbsp granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp tablespoons corn starch

For the Crème Brûlée topping:

6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean
6tbsp sugar

Method

For the cream filling:

Warm up the milk and the vanilla bean in a saucepan.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch.
Temper the yolk mix by adding one spoonful of the warmed milk at a time and stirring.
Pour it back into the saucepan containing the remaining warm milk and stir until thickened.
Once the cream cools down, transfer it into a piping bag and chill it in the fridge.

For the Crème Brûlée topping:

Preheat the oven to 320°F
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together.
Heat the cream and vanilla bean in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
As soon as it begins to simmer, remove it from the heat.
In a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk the egg- yolk mixture into the warm heavy cream.
Keep the egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble.
Pour the mixture into a shallow baking tray .
Bake until the edges are set and, the centre is little jiggly, and a thermometer registers at 170°F (77°C).
Remove the pan from the oven and place it in the fridge to cool down for at least 2 hours.
Cut the custard into small squares.
Using the remaining granulated sugar, sprinkle a thin layer all over the surface of the chilled custard .

For the cream filling:

Warm up the milk and the vanilla bean.
Whisk the egg yolk, sugar, and corn starch.
Temper the yolk mix by adding one spoonful of the warmed milk at a time and stirring.
Pour it back into the pot containing the remaining warm milk and stir until thickened.
Once the cream cools down, transfer into a piping bag and chill it the fridge.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 420°F .
Cut slices of brioche at about 1/2 inches thick.
Melt some butter and brush the brioche slices.
Brush them again with brown sugar.
Bake the brioche slices for 15 minutes until they have a shining crust all around.
Pour the cream mixture over the brioche slices.
Top with a square of the crème brûlée.
Caramelize the top of the crème brûlée with a blowtorch.
Optionally, garnish with berries