Easter baking

It's that time of the year again! Green grass, colorful flowers, blue sky...who doesn't love spring?! And with spring comes the third best holiday of the year - Easter. I just love getting together with my family, cooking my grandmother's traditional recipes, and, of course, hunting for eggs. But by far my favorite thing to do during Easter is baking. I spent all day yesterday testing out new recipes. I found a great recipe for Crème Brûlée. If you have never heard of it, Crème Brûlée is a French custard dessert topped with caramelized sugar. I lately purchased multiple ramekins and a kitchen torch so I thought this was a great time to finally use them. This was my first time making this delicious dessert so I made only 2 small portions, just to try out the recipe. It turned out perfectly! This surprised me because I am a very clumsy person, and clumsiness and torches usually don't mix well together...However this was a very simple recipe, so do not be put off by the complicated reputation of this popular French dessert. I will include the recipe below, including a couple of helpful tips. My sister, on the other hand, baked a creamy Chocolate Pudding Pie and the classic French dessert Tarte au Sucre. The links to both of these recipes will be posted below. I encourage you all to try out these or other baking recipes, and share them in the comments below. Also make sure to stay tuned for a post about Easter outfits and dishes a little later. Happy Easter and happy baking!
Xoxo


Crème Brûlée (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (+ 8 teaspoons for topping)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Put 4 ramekins in a roasting pan (make sure it is at least as tall as the ramekins).
2. In a small bowl, beat the yolks lightly with a small whisk. In a large bowl, stir the cream, sugar, and vanilla with a whisk until well blended. Add yolks and mix until same texture and color throughout.
3. Pour evenly into ramekins. Pour boiling water into the pan in between the ramekins, until the water covers about 2/3 of the height of the ramekins. Place into oven.*
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is light golden-brown and has a jelly texture.
5. Take out the ramekins and place onto a wire rack to cool. Let the ramekins chill until room temperature (approximately 2 hours), then cover each tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 4-48 hours.
6. Uncover the ramekins, gently blot the top with paper towel to remove excess liquid, and sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Hold the torch about 3-4 inches away from the top and heat in a circular motion until the sugar is melted, crystallized, and golden-brown. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

*Alternate method: Place pan with filled ramekins into oven, then pour boiling water until it covers about 2/3 of the height of the ramekins.

Recipe modified from: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/creme-brulee/67864cdb-de54-48b0-adca-02b9839ba033


Chocolate Pudding Pie:
 http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/09/chocolate-pudding-pie/

Tarte au Sucre:
http://www.food.com/recipe/tarte-au-sucre-francaise-french-canadian-sugar-pie-418149


If you have any questions or comments about the recipes, please share them below!
Happy baking!
Xoxo