What makes creme brulee set?
I've attempted to make creme brûlée several times using different recipes. The usually result is that the custard doesn't set, and gets up too runny. I've tried adjusting the ingredients, and the amount of time I let the finished product set in the fridge.
I'm wondering what is the cooking process or ingredient that determines the consistency? Time in the oven, level or water in the around the ramekins in the oven, amount of creme/milk compared to egg yoke?
Best Answer
I would prefer to give an answer that doesn't involve spending hundreds of dollars, but Modernist Cuisine has a great table about the consistency of custards comparing cooking temperature to egg concentration. If you can find a copy at your local library the kitchen guide has a table on page 233, otherwise check out volume 4 page 84.
Quick synopsis: What sets the creme brulee is the egg proteins coagulating. If you were to take the weight of the liquid in the brulee and add 30% of that weight as eggs and cook it to 181 degrees F you would have a creme brulee texture. Overcook to 190 F and you have flan, undercook to 176 F and you have creme anglaise. The two main factors are egg concentration and cooking temperature.
Pictures about "What makes creme brulee set?"
Quick Answer about "What makes creme brulee set?"
Quick synopsis: What sets the creme brulee is the egg proteins coagulating. If you were to take the weight of the liquid in the brulee and add 30% of that weight as eggs and cook it to 181 degrees F you would have a creme brulee texture.How does crème brûlée set?
Creme Br\xfbl\xe9e bakes for about an hour, but will need to chill for at least 30 minutes before being br\xfbl\xe9ed. The custard will firm up considerably in the refrigerator, so take it out of the oven when it has set into that very-jiggly-not-liquid consistency.How do I make my crème brûlée firmer?
Whites help set pudding, giving it a firmer texture. For this dish, use just the yolks and save the whites for another recipe, like meringue. Puddings are baked in a hot water bath to retain their silky-smooth texture (the water conducts heat, baking them more gently and evenly).What causes crème brûlée not to set?
The custard should become thicker as it cools and should be chilled thoroughly before the sugar topping is added. If the custard turns more liquid when the sugar topping is caramelized it could be that the whole dish was heated too much when the sugar was being caramelized.How do you thicken crème brûlée?
Egg yolks \u2013 for thickening. We're just using the yolks from the egg here, no egg whites. The yolks of an egg contain a considerable amount of fats, about 35%. These add creaminess to the creme brulee, just like the fat in the cream.Easy and Amazing Creme Brulee Recipe | Preppy Kitchen
More answers regarding what makes creme brulee set?
Answer 2
While Rudy refers to one excellent resource, it is indeed one which the authors are quite proud of ($450 on Amazon, yikes). @Yossarian provides a much better (more economical source for essentially the same information) In his first blog post: Three Books for Every Kitchen. The New Best Recipe Book, from Cooks Illustrated (Amazon, $22.97), accurately describes the coagulation process and heat concerns (with a slightly different ratio of products) it great detail beginning on page 952.
In addition to the direct question you pose, "What makes Creme Brulee set?" to help you with your 'general frustration' in making Creme Brulee I would recommend this 3 minute video from Alton Brown's "Good Eats". I believe you will find it a useful resource.
(should the link fail: search on YouTube for "Alton Brown Creme Brulee" and you should find the video easily)
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ivan Samkov, Mustata Silva, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska