Classic Orange Creme Brulee Recipe with Orange Juice and Zest

Orange creme brulee is a delicate custard that is fully flavored with orange juice and orange zest, and then covered with a caramelized sugar topping! This classic dessert is what dreams are made of!

We had our best friends over for dinner the other night and I really wanted
to “WOW” them with something special for dessert.

They have been extra helpful and supportive lately and I needed to let
them know how much means to me (plus, I’ve always wanted to own
one of those little blow torches, lol).

What better way to someone’s heart than through their stomachs, right? And, I just so happen toknow that Crème Bruleé is their favorite dessert. How convenient! LOL

This recipe is adapted from “The Barefoot Contessa’s” Ina Garten.

Who doesn’t love Ina?

The only change I made to Ina’s recipe was to add
orange zest into the custard. In the great words of Ina Garten “How bad
can that be?”

ORANGE CREME BRULEE {PRINT THIS RECIPE}

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus
extra for topping
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
(I used Grand Marnier)
1 tablespoon orange zest

-Preheat oven to 300°

-In the bowl of an electric mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, the orange
zest , 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla and orange liqueur together on
low speed until just combined.

-Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it’s very hot, but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add the cream to the eggs.

-Carefully pour the mixture into 6 (8 oz) ramekins until almost full. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

-Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until firm and ready to serve.
-To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with that little kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly or you get it the color you each individually want. Allow to sit a room temperature for a minute until the sugar hardens and will so wonderfully crack with a spoon when you dig in! Ahhhh….