Easy Persimmon Crème Brûlée (Print version)
Silky custard meets sweet persimmon in this elegant French dessert with a signature caramelized sugar topping.
# What you'll need:
→ Persimmon Base
01 - 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled and roughly chopped
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
→ Custard
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk
06 - 4 large egg yolks
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Topping
10 - 4 teaspoons granulated sugar for brûlée topping
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat oven to 300°F. Arrange 4 ramekins (6 oz each) in a deep baking dish.
02 - Combine persimmon pieces, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
03 - Distribute persimmon puree evenly among ramekins, spreading into a thin layer at the bottom.
04 - Heat cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming—do not boil. Remove from heat immediately.
05 - Whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until pale and slightly thickened.
06 - Slowly pour hot cream mixture into yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
07 - Pour custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pouring jug to remove any lumps.
08 - Gently pour strained custard over the persimmon puree layer in each ramekin.
09 - Pour hot water into baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
10 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until custards are just set but still slightly wobbly in center.
11 - Remove ramekins from water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
12 - Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each chilled custard. Use kitchen torch to caramelize until golden and crisp, or broil 1-2 minutes under hot grill.
13 - Allow brûlée to rest 3-5 minutes before serving to let caramelized sugar harden.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The persimmon adds this haunting floral sweetness that balances the rich custard perfectly
- You get to play with fire at the end, which is basically the most fun you can have in the kitchen
02 -
- If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can broil them, but watch them like a hawk because broilers are ruthless and can go from perfect to burnt in seconds
- The water bath is not optional, it is what keeps the custard from curdling and developing that weird eggy texture
03 -
- Room temperature eggs incorporate much more smoothly into the hot cream, so take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start
- If you see any tiny bubbles forming on the custard surface during baking, your oven is running too hot, so reduce the temperature by 25 degrees