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Creme Brulee... errors

So, I was asked to cook for some family friends the day after Thanksgiving. My aunt pretty much demanded Crème Brulee; I don't make many deserts. So, to be safe, i decided to give them a run tonight. In short i read a recipe backwards and used whole eggs when i should have used egg yolks and egg yolks when i should have used whole eggs. So, it seemed soupy to me but it was not until my dyslexic brain untangled itself that i saw what I had done. They are in the oven now but, I am wondering if I should expect anything but goo. The recipe called for 4 egg yolk, one whole egg, 1/4 cups of sugar and 1 and 1/2 cups of cream. Any pros out there that might make a suggestion? Lower the heat and prolong the bake? Throw it out now? Brace for greatness?

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  1. If you used four eggs and one yolk, it should cook fine since it's the eggs that harden. It won't be as rich and it might taste a little eggier and puff a little more than normal.

    1. I made brulee also not too long ago, I recall using only yolks. I can't even tell you what recipe I just picked one and went with it. They did take longer to set, so I baked them about 10minutes longer. I used a bain marie, no water got in the little pots, so I was good. I then chilled them and did the brulee later. They were perfect. cooking them a little longer is my guess, don't lower the heat though.

      I made tapioca pudding the other night, it stayed watery on top, it didn't go into the oven but I couldn't get the top to set either. Its a mystery to me.

      1. Thanks for the quick replies. On another note, how does creme brulee differ from Portuguese Egg Tarts? I had a few when I was in Hong Kong over the summer and loved them. I'd like to try to make them after getting over my water bath related anxiety.

        4 Replies
        1. re: frankiii

          Sorry I can't help you with that one, never had any. I'm willing to look at a recipe though.

          1. re: chef chicklet

            Here is a recipe with some nice pictures. It looks like the main difference is that the egg tarts are cooked in a pasty and there is no sugar placed on the top. I guess they would not be as rich because of the use of milk and cream instead of all cream. I am not sure if it was the tart itself or eating the tart in Hong Kong, but I did enjoy them.


            1. re: frankiii

              No now I have never had the pleasure of having one of those! The custard look similar, and NOW I have got to try these! I am a good custard nut. thanks frankii!

          2. re: frankiii

            I love pasteis de nata, but I would not have to thought to compare them to creme brulee. I suppose they are both custard based with burned sugar flavour. The top/crust of creme brulee is hard - the browned (preferably blackened) top of the tart is not.

            These tarts have the blackened effect... I always choose the darkest ones at the bakery:

          3. Good News! They turned out fine. If I had used more yolks then I am sure it would have been richer. But, they were not too bad like this. See picture for the results. Anyone ever tried making Creme Brulee with duck eggs? I was at an Asian market that stocks them today and it occured to me that their extra richness might be nice, but with all the cream I don't know that you would notice.

            5 Replies
            1. re: frankiii

              Duck eggs are usually larger than the standard "large" chicken eggs that recipe writers commonly call for so you can't just substitute, for example, four duck eggs for four chicken eggs, or even four yolks evenly. You'll have to measure. A "large" chicken egg yolk = 1 tablespoon, a "large" white = 2 tablespoons.
              Worth the experiment. I've baked with duck eggs and they made for richer products. We could taste the difference.

              1. re: frankiii

                Beautiful!!! Are you using one of those small torches? I hate mine. I think doing the brulee works better in my gas oven on low broil.

                1. re: chef chicklet

                  Thanks, i used my newly aquired Bernomatic Propane Torch. I think it is really for plumbing but it gets the job done. I also used large grained cane sugar for the crust which seemed to make it glob up more.

                  1. re: frankiii

                    Ah, I need to ditch my itty bitty one and trade up. fine job on the brulee. Love that stuff!

                    1. re: chef chicklet

                      And only $21 at the local hardware store!