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    Home - Creamy Desserts

    Published: Feb 11, 2015 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Blood Orange Crème Brûlée

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    this blood orange Crème brûlée is surprisingly simple to make

    While I was in Brookyln meeting up with some old friends from college, we got talking about food since I brought up the food blog. My one friend gave me a bit of a quiz as to the best tips for making crème brûlée. Before I could say anything, someone else chimed in with the exact same tip I was going to mention and left me with nothing because I realized...... I haven't made crème brûlée in years! What kind of dessert blogger am I if I don't even share a single crème brûlée with you?

    blood orange Crème brûlée
    So in an effort to make a dessert that is a bit romantic for Valentine's Day, add a crème brûlée to the blog's repotoire, and give more tips on making the perfect creme brûlée, I decided to whip up this lusciously rich blood orange crème brûlée for you.

    Blood orange Crème brûlée - simple and luscious
    Let me tell you about my struggles making anything blood orange related this year. I've been going to every store I could think of for the entire month trying to find blood oranges. Last year, you couldn't go anywhere without bumping into a blood orange this time of year. Now, it's like the entire state of New Jersey's been banned from selling blood oranges!! They aren't anywhere I go! Eventually, I used a produce delivery service to send me blood oranges. They were $1.49 PER ORANGE. What the heck. I was desperate though. They arrived the next day and.... they looked like regular oranges with just the lightest tint of red near the pith. F.M.L, ya'll!!! The best part about blood oranges is the deep ruby red of the entire orange when you open them up.

    blood orange Crème brûlée, a simple and romatic dessert
    Whatever.
    If you have "bloodier" blood oranges available, I promise your blood orange crème brûlée will be a nice pretty pink
    I don't have a kitchen torch, so I use the broiler in my oven. It creates a darker sugar crust with more blackened spots. I like this because the sweet, slightly bitterness of the blackened sugar crust contrasts beautifully with the sweet, velverty creme. You can keep it on a more golden brown tone with a torch or keeping an even closer eye on your broiler.

    this blood orange Crème brûlée is surprisingly simple to make

    Blood Orange Crème Brûlée

    Amanda Powell
    Creamy and velvety blood orange infused creme brluee
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 18 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 3 mins
    Course Fruit
    Cuisine French
    Servings 4 small crème brûlée
    Calories 589 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup blood orange juice plus the zest of one orange
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 3 tablespoons sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 300°F.
    • In a small saucepan, boil the blood orange juice until it is reduced to ½ cup. Add the zest, sugar and heavy cream and stir until combined and begins to lightly bubble. Remove from heat.
    • Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling ½ of the cream mixture into the eggs and whisking the eggs constantly. Slowly add the egg mixture back with the rest of the cream and mix well.
    • Strain everything through a fine mesh strainer and divide it into ramekins. Each ramekin should be about ⅔ pf the way full.
    • Place the ramekins in a baking pan and fill the baking pan with water until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
    • Bake for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until the creme brulee is set. It should still jiggle in the center, but not be liquidy. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to completely set.
    • Once you are ready to serve, add the sugar to each ramekin, swirling to ensure the creme brulee has an even coating of sugar. Use your oven broiler or kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately, or within the hour or else the sugar crust will soften and become chewy.

    Notes

    Do not add the sugar and brulee until you are ready to serve

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 589kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 319mgSodium: 41mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34g
    Keyword blood orange, creme brulee
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

     

     

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    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christina @ Bake with Christina says

      February 12, 2015 at 8:23 pm

      I've always wanted to make creme brûlée, and I LOVE the flavor choice you went with!! Sounds SO yummy!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        February 12, 2015 at 9:18 pm

        It's easier to make than people think. Definitely try it!!

        Reply
    2. Joanne says

      February 12, 2015 at 7:33 am

      I JUST made creme brulee, but hey...there's always room for me! Especially with a good blood orange infusion. They're the best!

      Reply
    3. joelen says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:15 pm

      What a great way to incorporate blood oranges! I'll have to give this a try!

      Reply
    4. Mischa @ Accidental Farm Wife says

      February 11, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      Creme brûlée is one of my absolute favorites. I got a torch months ago but still need to break it in!

      Reply
    5. Lauren @ Wicked Spatula says

      February 11, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      I agree with Pam, all the blood oranges are in TN! I'm loving it too. This looks delicious!

      Reply
    6. Beth (OMG! Yummy) says

      February 11, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Amanda - I must make this for my son. He loves creme brulee - he would just love this. And not to rub it in, but the citrus at our farmers markets right now is AMAZING including blood oranges. Glad you hung in there and found some of those bloody expensive oranges!

      Reply
    7. Lily Lou says

      February 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm

      Ahh looks so delicious! I'm adding this to my ~to try list~

      http://spoonuniversity.com/2015/02/recipe-diy-sushirrito-15-minutes/

      Reply
    8. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

      February 11, 2015 at 12:54 pm

      I think all the blood oranges came to Tennessee for a change! They are everywhere!

      Reply
    9. Laura @MotherWouldKnow says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:59 am

      I adore blood oranges. This post makes me want to run right out and check to see if I can find them (in Washington DC) - and if I do, to buy a bunch to make this version of creme brulee. What a great combination. PS - Is the rind tasty? Somehow I imagine it to be more bitter than the rind of a regular orange.

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        February 11, 2015 at 12:16 pm

        Actually, I find the rind very sweet, but with its own distinctive flavor. Since writing the pat I FINALLY found some blog oranges and made a doughnut with it. I used the seat in the sugar coating and it is phenomenal!

        Reply
    10. jean | lemons & anchovies says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:21 am

      I love this dessert. Creme Brûlée was my favorite dessert as an adult. It's been on my to-do list but I haven't gotten around to making a batch. Your blood orange version sounds and looks wonderful. A special purchase well worth it. 🙂

      Reply
    11. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:12 am

      Love both blood oranges and creme brulee; together I'm betting it's pure magic.

      Reply
    12. Marye Audet says

      February 11, 2015 at 11:03 am

      Sigh. Just sigh. This sounds perfect - creamy, rich, and orangey. I get frustrated about the blood orange conspiracy, too. :/ They are so hard to find!

      Reply
    13. Sarah | Broma Bakery says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:17 am

      Oh no, what a horrible orange story. At least they made it to your door! And ended in a gorgeous creme brulee. Just look at that cracked top with creaminess underneath!

      Reply
    14. Christine says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:38 am

      Oh yum! And what a rip-off! I have been trying to find blood oranges too. Last year we could even find them at the corner fruit vendor in the the suburbs of Chengdu (Suburbs in China does NOT mean the same thing as it does in an American city...) and this year...nada. Nowhere. Maybe something happened to the crops...anyway, I'm glad you have a creme brulee recipe to put on your blog...I've been thinking of trying one out this summer...with my dad's blowtorch. There's something that makes a home cook feel like they're living on the edge when they get to play with tools from the garage to make FIRE on a dessert...

      Reply
      • Anna | ANNAdventure says

        February 11, 2015 at 11:24 am

        I am not sure where you are now Christine but I was able to find some at Trader Joe's about a week ago. I live in Colorado and found them at the Boulder store. When I lived in Virginia I also would find them at Trader Joe's near me. All the best 🙂

        Amanda - this sounds super good. I have all the ingredients except a blow torch lol. I think I am going to try to make it and if it turns out well (high altitude + the fact that I suck at making desserts) I will go out and get a blow torch 🙂

        Reply
        • Amanda says

          February 11, 2015 at 12:15 pm

          I need to invest in a blowtorch. Broiling is good, but I like to have more control. Like I said in the post though, the blacker spots are my favorite part! You get more of them with the broiler, but more control is still nice. I hope it turns out for you. I have no idea how to work with high altitude! This creme brûlée is fairly foolproof though 🙂

        • Christine says

          February 13, 2015 at 3:44 am

          Thanks for the advice. We're currently in China right now, so I'll have to wait until next season when we're back in snowy WI, I guess. Have fun making this! I love that she gave us a non-blow torch option... it's like she knew some of us have a history with setting things on fire when we cook...;p

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

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