Fig Leaf Crème Brûlée
The unique fresh-figs-meets-coconut-and-vanilla flavor of fig leaves is captured beautifully in this delicate crème brûlée. Creamy, luxurious, and simple.
follow for seasonal recipes →
The unique fresh-figs-meets-coconut-and-vanilla flavor of fig leaves is captured beautifully in this delicate crème brûlée. Creamy, luxurious, and simple.
2 cups heavy cream
5-6 fresh fig leaves, cleaned & dried
1/3 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Additional sugar, for brûlée top
1. Heat heavy cream over medium-low heat just until bubbles start to form around the edges - do not bring to a full boil. Turn off heat.
2. Add fig leaves, tucking them into the cream and swirling the cream to make sure they get submerged. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and allow to infuse for 15-20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare 4 deep ramekins (or 6 shallow ramekins) in a dish that is at least 2 inches deep. Get a pot of water heating (you'll need to bake the brûlées in about an inch or so of hot water).
4. Once cream is infused, strain it and discard the fig leaves.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Pour in warm infused cream and whisk well.
6. Distribute mixture evenly amongst ramekins. Carefully pour at least an inch of hot water into the dish of ramekins. Be careful not to splash water into your brûlées - they won't bake properly if this happens!
7. To eliminate bubbles on the surface of your custards, you can wave a culinary torch swiftly and briefly over tops of custard.
8. Place pan in oven and bake until crème brûlée is mostly set but centers still have a slight jiggle, about 20-25 minutes for shallow ramekins or 35-40 minutes for deep ramekins.
9. Let brûlées come to room temperature, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
10. Sprinkle sugar on top of each custard to make an even thin layer. Carefully brûlée sugar with a culinary torch until sugar turns golden brown and bubbly. Let set for a minute or two until sugar cools, then enjoy.
Eat your fig leaf brûlées on their own, or serve with crunchy cookies or slices of fresh figs!
Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
