Crème Brulee-Pecan Pie Style
Two of my favorite desserts in the fall and winter are crème brulee and pecan pie. I love the creaminess of the brulee and the ooey gooey goodness of the pecan pie. So I thought, why not combine them together for a multifaceted dessert that showcases them both. Introducing, Creme Brulee-Pecan Pie style.
Crème Brulee
My first job as a Pastry Assistant was in a restaurant in Washington, D.C. On the menu, was a plateed dessert we made that was a beautiful trio of mini crème brulee desserts. I remember standing over the stove and making the custards. We literally sold them by the 100’s. It really brought my love for this dessert back to the forefront.
Pecan Pie
Growing up, I didn’t eat too much pecan pie, actually I thought I would never like it because I wasn’t too much of a fan of nuts. However, my Grandmother changed all that when she would make pecan tarts. Honestly, they were to die for, I would eat massive amounts of them every Christmas!
This was the beginning of my journey of loving the pecan pie.
Memory flashback, when I worked in corporate catering, one of the mini desserts we offered on the dessert platter was the pecan tart. I literally would make the filling in buckets because they were super popular and flew out the door on many orders.
What’s Needed
- Creme Brulee custard filling
- Pecan Pie filling
- Small ramekins or custard cups
- Baking dish
How It’s Prepared
First, I take a standard crème brulee recipe and make it on the stove, strain it and its ready for the oven. This recipe is just a basic custard consisting of cream, half and half, sugar, and egg yolks.
However, you can make this up ahead of time, cool it and place in the refrigerator to use when needed.
Pecan Pie Filling
Second, I use the pecan pie filling that I use for my pecan tarts for the base of this custard. This recipe is super easy to make up. As mentioned above, this is my Grandmother’s recipe.
Now that both are made and ready to go, I take small ramekin cups and spray them well with cooking spray.
I place about a 1-2 tsp of pecan filling in the bottom of each ramekin. Just enough to cover the bottom lightly.
Next, the crème brulee filling gets gently poured over the filling.
Water Baithing
The ramekins then get placed in a baking pan and filled half way up the sides with hot water for a nice water bath for them to bake in. This ensures the custards are baked evenly. As well as, temperature maintenance.
50 minutes in a 300 degree oven does the trick and when removed the centers will still be a little jiggly.
After these are cool, I sprinkle sugar on the top and then torch the sugar with a kitchen torch and they are ready to dive into!
Creme Brulee Pecan Pie-Yum
I can hardly wait to see how these turn out, and if they will work with such different consistencies of each component.
Absolutely delicious, and replicates the classic pecan pie but then you get the super creamy texture with the custard. It’s really a homerun and I literally could not stop eating this!
The creme brulee now has an updated twist and definitely one for the new dessert profile.
Instead of pecan pie for my Thanksgiving and holiday dessert table, I’m thinking this will be my new retro revisit of two classical desserts married into one. Creme Brulee-Pecan Pie Style.
Check out some other mini desserts:
