Family-Style Dulce de Leche Crème Brûlée

Family-style dulce de leche crème brûlée has entered the group chat. Without the need for ramekins this dessert is ready to party.

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Was anyone else lost with their extra time yesterday without any soccer to watch? I’d like to say I don’t know what I will do with all my extra time once it’s all over in 10 days but I definitely have no problem filling my time, mostly because my to-do list is always growing faster than I can check things off.

Speaking of giving myself too many things to do lets make dessert! A thing I have been trying to eat less of (as in less than once a day) so when I do make something it’s usually for a crowd event. The most recent of which was when our neighbors had us over for carnitas and margaritas on the 4th of July and requested I bring dessert. So in honor of what is now two of the remaining eight teams, Argentina and France, I created yet another World Cup inspired recipe – dulce de leche crème brûlée!

The origins of both dulce de leche and crème brûlée are disputed. Argentina and Uruguay both claim dulce de leche but historians believe it traveled from the Indonesia with Spanish colonists. Meanwhile crème brûlée is fought over between France, Spain, and England but it is most often associated with France as they hold the earliest known printed recipe. But did you know that traditionally the caramelized sugar was achieved by using a hot iron?? That’s freaking cool but I understand how the average person is not going to want to mess around with a hot brand and now most use a kitchen torch or broiler.

Now that our history less is over, back to this dulce de leche crème brûlée. Instead of being served in individual ramekins, because while I have 8 of those hidden in a kitchen drawer I don’t expect everyone else to, I served this family-style to better feed a crowd. I assume most people have a rimmed baking sheet and a baking dish that fits inside of it to make the water bath in which it bakes.

FAMILY-STYLE DULCE DE LECHE CRÈME BRÛLÉE

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 6 hours 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp good vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F and line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with a damp kitchen cloth; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanillas until smooth; set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, combine cream, dulce de leche, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until steam rises, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Slowly drizzle hot cream into yolk mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly, until all the cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into an X baking pan.
5. Place baking pan on towel in baking sheet and move to the oven with the door ajar. Pour boiling water into the outer baking sheet until almost full. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake 40-45 minutes, until center is barely set and instant read thermometer placed in the center reads 170-175F. Allow to cool slightly before chilling in refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight.
7. Before serving, sprinkle 1/4 sugar over the custard. Use a kitchen torch* (or broiler placed 3 inches away) to brown top, 2-3 minutes.

Source: Adapted from my Crème Brûlée and Family-Style Crème Brûlée from Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman.