Lemon Drop Brûlée

Tools & Supplies

• Meat tenderizer or hammer

• 4-6 4 oz heatproof porcelain ramekins

• Kitchen Torch

Ingredients

Custard:

• 6 See’s Lemon Drops (for infusion)

• 2 ½ cups whole milk, cold

• Pinch of baking soda

• 5 ½ tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch

• 5 large egg yolks

• Pinch of Salt

Brûlée Topping:

• 20 See’s Lemon Drops

Instructions

Prepare the Custard:

1. Place 6 Lemon Drops in a resealable plastic or cloth bag and crush into a fine powder using the flat side of a meat tenderizer or hammer.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks and salt until thick and blended. Set aside.

3. Pour cold milk into a saucepan. Add baking soda and the crushed Lemon Drops. Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly, until the candy dissolves and the mixture becomes smooth and begins to steam. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.

4. Turn the heat off and strain the milk through a mesh sieve to remove any remaining candy pieces, then return to the saucepan. Set aside.

5. Whisk the egg mixture and slowly add the warm milk ¼ cup at a time in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly in a figure eight pattern until smooth.

6. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and occasionally scraping the sides of the pan. After 3–4 minutes, the custard will begin to thicken and steam more heavily. Once small bubbles, or “blooping,” begin to appear at the surface, continue whisking for 30 seconds more, then immediately remove from heat. Do not allow the mixture to reach a rolling boil.

7. For a smoother texture, strain the custard through a mesh sieve to remove any remaining bits.

8. Pour the custard into 4-6 ramekins. Gently tap the filled ramekins against a counter to remove any hidden air bubbles and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

9. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each custard to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerator odors from being absorbed.

10. Place the ramekins inside a container with a lid, then refrigerate, leaving one corner of the lid open for 1-2 hours to ensure no residual condensation occurs. Once the ramekins are cool, shut the lid completely and refrigerate for 4-24 hours, until fully set.

Brûlée Topping:

1. Just before serving, place 20 Lemon Drops in a resealable plastic or cloth bag and crush into a fine powder using the flat side of a meat tenderizer or hammer.

2. Remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Lightly dab the tops of the custard dry if needed. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of crushed Lemon Drops evenly over each custard.

3. Using a kitchen torch, heat the custard topping for 10-12 seconds until it bubbles and turns golden brown. For a deeper caramelized finish, add a second layer of crushed Lemon Drops and torch again for 5-8 seconds. Serve immediately.