Apple Cider Crème Brûlée

We have a Maple Bourbon Crème Brûlée in the Vermont Farm to Table Cookbook. (one of our favorites!) and last year we released a Maple PUMPKIN Crème Brûlée. But this fall we found ourselves asking… ‘what other twist could we put on a crème brûlée?’ What screams Vermont and fall? You may have guessed it by now, but we decided to create an Apple Cider Crème Brûlée!

Where to Get the Best Apple Cider

The key ingredient that brings all of the flavor to this recipe is fresh apple cider. We mean the good stuff, fresh pressed, it really is not comparable to the apple cider you might find in a super market. But where is the best place to find this cider? Right at the apple orchard! Many local apple orchards here in Vermont (and all over New England) press their own fresh cider each fall, using apples grown right on the farm. This means that the flavor is all there, thanks to the heirloom apples and fresh pressing!

How to Tell When Your Apple Cider Crème Brûlée is Done Baking

Despite bring fairly simple to make crème brûlée has a reputation for being fancy, and for that reason it’s easy to assume it’s tricky to make. This isn’t entirely true, our Apple Cider Crème Brûlée is simple to make, with just a couple of steps where it is important to get things right. One of these critical stages is telling when the crème brûlée is done.  The edges of your crème brûlée should be solid, but there should be just the slightest bit of wobble in the center. The good news is, if you slightly overbake and your crème brûlée cracks, you can always hide that imperfection when you add the maple topping!

Getting the Crème Brûlée Topping Just Right

The key to getting the perfect golden brown on top of your crème brûlée is to keep your flame constantly moving. Using a propane torch, keep the flame close to the top of your crème brûlée, but in constant motion. Watch closely and allow the sugar to bubble and brown, but make sure you don’t linger over one part of your crème brûlée for long enough for the sugar to begin to blacken. You will know that it is down when the top has a lovely golden brown color and is quite hard and solid to the touch.

Apple Cider Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:

• 1 half gallon apple cider 
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup maple sugar

Topping 

• ¾ cups maple sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

1. Place the apple cider in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Boil until the cider has reduced down to one cup. This will take approximately one hour. 
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until steaming, stirring occasionally, but do not let the mixture boil. 
4. While the cream is heating, separate the egg yolks and whisk them together with the maple sugar for about 2 minutes until thickened. 
5. Once the cream is steaming, remove from heat.
6. Pour about ¼ of the cream into the egg yolks and whisk until combined. 
7. Slowly pour the remaining cream into the eggs and whisk to combine. 
8. Pour the mixture into 6-8 ramekins. 
9. Place the ramekins in a baking dish, and pour boiling water into the dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. 
10. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35 – 50 minutes (the timing varies based on how deep the ramekins you are using are. The crème brûlées are done when they firm up with only a slight wobble in the middle. 
11. Once baked, allow to cool before adding the topping. 
12. To make the topping, mix together the maple sugar and maple syrup.
13. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of each crème brûlée. 
14. Holding a torch about three inches above the crème brûlée, and moving constantly, heat the surface of each crème brûlée until the topping bubbles and browns, or even blackens slightly.

Like what you see here? There’s a whole lot more in The Vermont Farm to Table Cookbook!