Healthy Creme Brûlée

You might see the cream and egg yolks in the ingredient list and wonder how I can label it healthy. First, jump over to the Healthy Home Economist. This is her recipe, slightly modified. You can read her explanation on the reasons we can call this luxurious dish healthy. It has something to do with fatty acids, brain function, and healthy skin. But there is a key here, not to be missed. You must use organic, pasture-raised cream and pasture-raised eggs. These days, for pasture-raised eggs, you must know the farm and the farmer. That's the only way you can call this healthy. Feel free to make it with commercial milk and eggs. But that's not healthy. You shouldn't eat that junk. Really. I'm not kidding.  I am fortunate to have access to high-quality cream and eggs from The Family Cow. 


Here's the recipe for one 9-inch pie dish:

Ingredients

1 pint heavy, fresh or slightly soured cream
1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup organic unprocessed cane sugar (sucanat) or coconut sugar

4 tsp. sucanat or coconut sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Ready to go in oven.

Heat cream gently with vanilla, but do not let it boil. Beat egg yolks with sugar until smooth and well blended. Beat vanilla and hot cream into yolk mixture. 

Pour into pie dish. Set dish in a shallow pan of warm water. Bake 35-45 minutes until custard sets and forms a crust on top. Note that set does not mean a knife will come out clean. If you put a knife in the center, it should come out with creamy custard on it. It will set more as it cools. 

Let custard cool. Cover lightly and chill 4 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, sprinkle remaining 4 tsp. sugar evenly over top. Place under the broiler until the sugar melts and browns, being careful not to burn it. Pay attention - this happens very quickly. Return to refrigerator to cool and allow sugar to harden to a crust. 

Try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Make it Healthier

Use RAW non-homogenized cream from organic, pastured milk. If you can't find this, use cream that has been gently pasteurized, like described here. Because even the organic, grass-fed cream you buy commercially is likely ultra-pasteurized, homogenized, and may even contain added substances like carrageenan.