Velvety White Chocolate Crème Brûlée with a thin layer of strawberry jam at the bottom for a sweet surprise. This velvety dessert is perfect for dinner parties and special occasions. This White Chocolate Crème Brûlée recipe can be made up to two days in advance, with or without a kitchen torch.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Place four, 4-ounce ramekins on the baking sheet, and spoon 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam into each. Spread the jam across the bottom, but don’t worry about it being perfectly distributed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. Do not let the mixture boil. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add the chopped white chocolate and whisk until smooth.
With a ladle or small spoon, slowly add the hot cream mixture to yolk mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly until all of the cream is added (adding the cream slowly will prevent the eggs from scrambling.) Whisk in vanilla. Rap the bowl on the counter a few times to remove the bubbles, then skim off of the foam. (Any foam that is not skimmed will be visible in the final crème brûlée.) Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup for easy pouring. Gently pour the custard into the prepared ramekins until it comes nearly to the top. Carefully slide the baking pan into the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the custards are just set in the center. (They should jiggle just a little when the sides of the dish are tapped.) Remove from oven and transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until the custards are well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to two days.
When ready to bake: Sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. If using a kitchen torch, heat sugar with the torch until caramelized. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour. If broiling the custards, set oven rack in the second-highest position and turn broiler to high. Broil for 2-5 minutes, or until sugar is caramelized. Watch carefully to ensure the sugar does not burn. Serve immediately or chill and serve within a few hours.
Notes
Unbaked custard can be covered and refrigerated up to two days; baked (but un-torched) custard can also be stored for up to two days (but only do one or the other.) Once bruleed, custards can be refrigerated for a few hours, but the sugar will not be as crackly.