Caramelized Banana Crème Brulée
Crème brulée. It sounds so fancy, so complicated. Yet, its name means something so simple, “burned cream,” and sums up this custard perfectly. Crème brulée consists of cream, egg yolks and sugar. Dusted with a layer of sugar, the dessert is placed under a broiler or butane kitchen torch. Once the sugar caramelizes and forms a crisp, shiny, golden glaze, the dish transforms from boring, old custard into crunchy, velvety crème brulée. Crème brulée, then and now Historians differ on the exact origins of crème brulée. Some attribute it to 17th century France while others point to 15th century England. In the 19th century it became a favorite dessert at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. From there its popularity spread. It eventually fell out of fashion until the 1980s when upscale restaurants began serving it as a decadent final course. This dessert has not lost its hold on diners’ palates. Stop by an ice cream or gelato shop or your local market’s ice cream case and you’ll likely see crème brulée as a featured flavor. The …
