The Foodie Files

While I'm far from having it all figured out, I will say there are a few things in life I know for a fact to be true.  Among those things are the following: Krispy Kreme doughnuts...good, creme brûlée...good, so it stands to reason that Krispy Kreme doughnut creme brûlée should be really good, right?  You never know until you try so try I did.  Turns out, I was extremely correct.  I came across this recipe on (where else?) Pinterest awhile ago and set it aside for a rainy day, though I must admit that was pretty much my whole contribution to the project.  My dear friend Nina gets the credit for nearly every part of the prep work...I basically just put everything in the oven.  Nonetheless, it's a great recipe and I was delighted to serve it last night.  Keep it in mind for a fun holiday treat!

Ingredients:
6 Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts
1 pint half-and-half
1 quart heavy cream
12 egg yolks
1½ cups sugar
8 packets Sugar in the Raw

Puree the doughnuts and half-and-half in a blender until smooth.  In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream with the half-and-half/doughnut puree, and heat until scalding (just before boiling).

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to combine.  Once the sugar is dissolved, temper the yolk mixture by whisking in a small amount of the hot cream mixture (to be clear, the hot mixture is being poured from the saucepan into the cool mixture).  Once the yolks are tempered, whisk them into the remaining cream mixture. 

Strain the brûlée base through a fine mesh strainer.  Divide the mixture into eight ramekins.  Fill until nearly full, and bake in a water bath at 325 degrees for approximately 30-45 minutes or until the custards are set when gently shaken.

Once set, remove the ramekins from the water bath to cool.   After cooling, dust the top of each with Sugar in the Raw, and caramelize evenly with a kitchen torch or under the broiler until the sugar darkens and bubbles.  Set aside to cool (2 to 5 minutes) before serving.  This will allow the sugar to harden on top (and prevent folks from scalding their hands on the ramekins).