# Lumpy creme brulee! Disaster!



## pinkskittle (Aug 2, 2010)

So I took the recipe from Martha Stewart's website: Creme Brulee and more delicious recipes, smart cooking tips, and video demonstrations on marthastewart.com

The only thing I changed was that I added a banana (cut in thirds) to the cream/vanilla/sugar mix.  I took the banana and vanilla bean out before adding to the yolk mix.  Then I ran it all through a cheese cloth before adding to bowls.

I don't know if my cream mix was too hot and ended up cooking the eggs (even after running through cheese cloth), or if I  used the wrong bowls.

I didn't use ramekins, but some little pyrex dishes.  Some deeper than others (obviously a basic cooking no-no).

I cooked them exactly the way the recipe said... in a pan of boiling water at 300.  Even by 40 minutes, they were sloshing around, rather than jiggling.  I cooked them a bit longer, and they still didn't look set, but I took them out anyway.

Once cooled in the fridge overnight, they were lumpy... I tasted one and it had a great taste, but the texture was obviously lumpy.  

Can anyone suggest where I went wrong?


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## LPBeier (Aug 2, 2010)

I think maybe you got some water into your custard and/or your ratio of liquid to egg was out a little.  I have not looked at Martha's recipe but will now.

Here is my basic formula for creme brulee.  It is for two, but I have made it for up to 50.  The instruction are for my catering staff so they are in weights and metric.  I got mixed up on how to put them in the oven (going by memory which isn't good these days).

250 ml whipping cream
3 egg yolks
40 gr sugar
Vanilla, liqueur or other flavouring to taste*
Sugar to caramelize

Turn oven to 325 and place racks in top and bottom positions.

Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat immediately.  Mix egg yolks, sugar and flavouring together.  Add hot cream, whisking as you add and continuously until it is combined.  Strain mixture and put into ramekins.

Place ramekins in a pan and place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven.  Add warm to hot water to the pan (1/2 way up sides of ramekins) while pan is in the oven.  Do not use a knife or toothpick to tell doneness.  gently tap the side of ramekin to see when custard does not move.  Gently pull rack out of oven making sure no water goes into custards.  Remove custards from pan while still on oven rack.

Chill until ready to use.  Sprinkle light layer of sugar on top of each custard as needed and caramelize with torch.

*If you use more than 1/2 tsp (with this recipe) of vanilla or flavouring then compensate by removing the same amount of cream as liquid flavouring.

You can caramelize under the broiler as well, just being careful not to "melt" custard.


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## mollyanne (Aug 2, 2010)

pinkskittle said:


> So I took the recipe from Martha Stewart's website: Creme Brulee and more delicious recipes, smart cooking tips, and video demonstrations on marthastewart.com
> 
> Once cooled in the fridge overnight, they were lumpy... I tasted one and it had a great taste, but the texture was obviously lumpy.


...oh LuMpY ShMumPy...i'll take it! 

.


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## Mimizkitchen (Aug 3, 2010)

My first thought was, did you temper the egg??? Not doing so could scramble the egg mixture causing lumps...


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## missM (Aug 4, 2010)

Pinks, if it is curdled, you just have to chuck it, I'm sorry.   However, if you do this again and it is only lumpy, beat it.  It'll  work, I promise.   Would never do for Masterchef, but it's OK


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## Linux (Aug 8, 2010)

Sometimes a split creme brulee can be rescued by sprinkling a level teaspoon of plain flour onto the mixture before whizzing with a Braun Multipractic, or similar.


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