Black Sesame Creme Brulee

When I find an ingredient I like, I use it over and over again. Black sesame is my current obsession. I love the subtle flavor it adds to a dish. Last week, I created a bark with matcha and black sesame. I was so inspired by that recipe that I wanted to see if I could add it to one my favorite desserts (my favorite to make and eat) – creme brulee. This black sesame creme brulee is seriously to die for.

When I first approached this recipe, I thought it would be similar to my Matcha Creme Brulee recipe. I could just add in a tablespoon of the black sesame seeds and I would be done. But nope! It didn’t work out. I failed to understand the difference between black sesame and matcha. Matcha powder dissolves in any hot liquid, but black sesame sort of just floats in liquid. So I needed to rethink my approach.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Black sesame seeds – Adds the black sesame flavor and color to the creme brulee. You can also use black sesame powder if you don’t have a spice grinder or food processor.
• Honey – Combined with the black sesame seeds to add a bit of sweetness and texture to the black sesame paste.
• Egg yolks – Adds richness to the creme brulee.
• Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the creme brulee.
• Heavy cream – The heavy cream gives the creme brulee it’s creamy texture.
• Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the creme brulee. Substitute with 1 vanilla bean or an equal amount of vanilla paste

Making black sesame creme brulee

First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Toast black sesame seeds for 10-20 seconds. Add them to a spice grinder and pulse until it is in a powdered form. Combine the black sesame seed powder with the honey in a small bowl. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside. Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Add the cream and black sesame paste to a small sauce pan over low medium heat. Whisk the paste and the cream until the paste melts into the cream. Be careful not to overheat the cream. Once the cream starts emitting a little smoke, it’s done. Turn off your heat.

Use a whisk to break down your egg yolks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the heated cream to your egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Stir a few times and pour it into the cream. Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps. Ladle the creme brulee mixture into 4 ramekins and place them in a 9×9 baking dish. Pour the hot water into the baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Take the creme brulee out at 30 minutes to check if it’s done. It should jiggle a little bit in the middle similar to how a jello moves. If it jiggles a lot, leave it in for 1-2 more minutes before checking again. Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and at least another 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate up to several days. Add a thin layer of sugar over the top. Shake off any excess. Use a torch to melt the sugar and create a solid layer over the top. You can also put it in broiler to achieve the same result.

Tempering your egg is the key to the perfect black creme brulee

The most common mistake I see is accidentally cooking the eggs which is what you don’t want. The key is to temper the egg/sugar mixture with some of the warm cream before pouring it into the cream. This technique is used in both creme brulees and ice cream. What this means is you’re raising the temperature of the egg/sugar mixture, so the eggs don’t cook when you pour it into the cream. To temper your eggs, pour a little bit of the cream into the egg mixture and stir until it is well incorporated into the egg mixture. After incorporated, pour it into the cream.

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