Clinkerdagger's Burnt Cream

Clinkerdagger’s Burnt Cream

A recipe from Clinkerdagger’s, a former Northwest restaurant chain. Burnt cream is a classic English concoction of egg yolks and cream with a broiled sugar topping (known also as crème brûlée). The Anchorage, Alaska branch of Clinkerdagger’s handed out printed recipe cards for this local favorite; so, the recipe has been preserved despite the restaurant’s demise. I found this Clinkerdagger’s version of crème brûlée in Sarah Eppenbach’s Baked Alaska. It appears here in a slightly revised format.

2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Granulated sugar for caramelized topping

Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Put on a kettle of water to boil, to use as water bath for custard cups.
Heat the cream over moderate heat until nearing the boiling point, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and creamy. Slowly add the cream, whisking constantly, and blend well. Add the vanilla and strain the mixture into 6 individual custard cups that can withstand the direct heat of the broiler.
Place the custard cups in a baking pan and fill the pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly.
For the caramelized topping,
Preheat the broiler.
Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar over the top of each chilled custard.
Place the custards directly under the broiler for about 3 minutes until the sugar bubbles and turns golden.

Yield: Makes 6 servings.

(If you have a kitchen torch by all means use that. If you do not have one and are curious, click here on torch to see a photo and a recipe which uses it to caramelize the top of crème brûlée.)

This recipe has been kitchen tested in Alaska.

You can find this and related recipe(s) by tapping here on the Home Cookin' index.

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