Maple Bourbon Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée, but make it boozy. That was at least my thinking when coming up with this recipe. I was invited by Mawoo to use their maple syrup in a beautiful dessert and this was the first thing that came to mind.

The creamy custard is only sweetened with maple syrup, really bringing out its nutty flavour, while the bourbon adds a bit of a delicious kick. You can of course omit it, should you not want any alcohol or use alcohol free spirits.

As it is thickened with both corn starch and egg yolks, this maple bourbon custard couldn’t be easier to make. While it’s important to mix well when setting the mixture over heat, your risk of it curdling is minimal as the cornstarch acts as a stabiliser.

Start by mixing egg yolks, maple syrup, pinch of salt and cornstarch into a bowl. This will prevent any lumps forming later on.

Warm the milk and cream together and, when almost boiling, pour them in a thin stream over the egg mixture. This will temper the eggs. As you bring the custard back to a boil, it will thicken quickly and become deliciously velvety.

The final flourish comes in the form of a pat of butter and a glug of bourbon or whiskey (rum, amaretto, brandy would also work well). Mix well and pour into ramekins, to set.

The sugar lid should be dealt with right before serving, lest it loses its crisp quality. Use a blow torch for best results or set them under the grill for about 5 minutes until the sugar melts.

Decorate with a few raspberries and serve as soon as possible. The contrast between the warm, crispy lid and the creamy cold custard is part of the appeal of this delicious dessert.

Perfect for a cozy night in or an elegant dinner party, this crème brûlée is bound to impress and delight.

MAPLE BOURBON CREME BRULEE

SERVES 6

200ml milk

150ml heavy cream

200ml maple syrup

30g cornstarch

4 large egg yolks

2 tbsp butter

1-2 tbsp good quality bourbon

pinch of salt

6 tbsp brown sugar, for blowtorching

In a large bowl add egg yolks, cornstarch, maple syrup, salt. Mix well to combine with a whisk.

In a saucepan combine milk and heavy cream. Set it over a medium heat and bring to an almost boil.

When streaming pour into a stream over the mixture in the bowl and mix well. Transfer it all back into the saucepan and mix constantly until it starts to thicken.

Cook for a minute or two then take off the heat. Add butter and bourbon and whisk them in.

Pour into 6 ramekins and let cool. Place in the fridge at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, sprinkle brown sugar over each ramekin evenly. Using a blowtorch, caramelise the sugar until crispy.

Serve immediately.