European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A burning dessert sensation by Charlyne Varkonyi Baltimore Suno be of Many charms of Creme Brulee the custard dessert with the Crunchy burned Brown sugar Topping is that it is burned. The distinctive smell and taste can Send foodies into eloquent soliloquies of Praise. The caramelized top presents the perfect foil for the creamy Comfort food custard underneath. The recipe has been around for a Long time but just How Long is a matter of great culinary debate. English Cookbook writer Jane Grigson who Calls it the Best of All English puddings says that it dates Back to the 18th Century. Evan Jones author of american food says that it is a 17th Century recipe. And depending on the source historians Trace the origin to Trinity College or Kings College in Cambridge England. Still others say new Orleans should get the credit for the specially. And even More puzzling although the name is French it does not appear in larousse gastronomic be or Escoffier. Whatever the origin today s adaptations have come a Long Way from the original recipe in which Cream and cinnamon were boiled poured slowly into egg Yolks sweetened cooled decorated with White pounded sugar and then browned. Contemporary recipes Range from the classic Plain custard topped with caramelized Brown sugar to variations including nuts fresh fruit and liqueurs. During the past few years Creme Brulee has experienced a Renaissance and has become the dessert at some of America s hottest restaurants. Chocolate mousse has had to move Over for the dessert of the 1980s. It is the signature dish at be Cirque Manhattan s Power broker restaurant. And Many critics say nobody does it better. Trunp Wolfgang puck of spa on main in Santa Monica style to the classic dish Creme Brulee and a Crem fruit and puff pastry. Michael Roberts of a California ethnic twist t Creme Brulee Tostada. Finding Creme Brulee the Way to eternity say spotter Cookbook author Good old food a taste published by Barrons. It s still very popular the menu in every trendy o in los Angeles and chinos alif., has brought California he has produced a Ginger Brulee tart made with fresh s in los Angeles has Given the Basic recipe with his s going to be my last Stop on Irena Chalmers a food trend and publisher. Her latest Book from the past was recently i of will find Creme Brulee on restaurant in new York. Why because it s so Good. I think it s As simple As that. It satisfies yearnings for something Sweet and soft and brings Back memories o Here Are some variations of Creme Brulee. L Auberge s Creme Brulee 4 eggs room temperature 5 ounces or 1 firmly a 12/3 cup whole milk to 1 cup heavy Cream Rove Teaspoon Vanilla exl boiling water Topping 1 Tablespoon White Luciar 1/2 cup Light Brown sugar ked cup Light Brown sugar m temperature m temperature act this heat oven to 300 Der bowl with a whisk. Eggs so it is necessary to do Brown sugar and centimes the mixture should be s add milk and Cream Slov then add Vanilla extract by Marian Burros new York times r  yes. Mix 4 eggs in Large mixing coagulate at a Low temperature As quickly As possible. Add to beat briskly with whisk Ghaly thick and Brown in color by whisking until mixed Well and mix Well. Ladle into six ramekins about 11/a inches High. Place ramekins into Large roasting pan and fill pan with boiling water up to Halfway of the Ramekin. Bake for 1 hour. Make sure to Monitor the water Bath during the baking it should not boil. If the water gets too hot add cold water to the Bath. Tesche custard by pressing with your Finger it should be firm when done. Allow the custard to Cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve at least six hours. Before serving put the ramekins on a cookie Sheet and Sprinkle a mixture of White and Brown sugar Over the top. Put under the broiler on top rack for about 2 to 3 minutes until the top turns dark Brown and the sugar caramelized. Note better accuracy can be obtained if you use a Kitchen scale to weigh the sugar. Makes 6 Servings. Wolfgang puck s Ginger Creme Brulee 6 egg Yolks 1/2 cup sugar 3 cups heavy Cream 1 Vanilla bean split 3 dime size pieces of fresh Ginger 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened a cup Brown sugar in a Large Metal bowl set Over a Bain Marie water Bath on medium heat whisk the egg Yolks and sugar together until the mixture is Light and thick. When a bit of the mixture is lifted it should fall Back into the bowl forming a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the mixture. This takes quite a Long time be Strong and be patient. Remove from the heat. Carefully whisk in the Cream. Add the Vanilla bean and Ginger. Place the bowl Back Over the Bain Marie and Cook slowly for about 45 minutes stirring frequently. Take care the water does not boil. The custard will be done when the mixture adheres to your Finger without dripping. When the custard is done remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a Little at a time until All of it has been incorporated. Remove the Vanilla bean. Strain through a Fine Strainer into a bowl then ladle into 8 1-cup ramekins or into a shallow 1 to 1 a quart serving dish. Chill at least six hours or overnight. Sieve an even layer of Brown sugar or regular sugar Over the custards about 1/4 Inch thick. With the rack up As far As it will go put the ramekins on a cookie Sheet under a hot broiler on top rack for 2 to 3 minutes. Chill until serving time. Place the individual ramekins on dessert saucers or spoon the Creme Brulee from the larger serving dish onto dessert plates. Serves eight to 10. Richard Taylor s creamy Creme Brulee 1 quart heavy whipping Cream room temperature 1/2 Vanilla bean split 9 jumbo or extra Large egg Yolks room temperature 6 Tablespoons White sugar Brown sugar for Topping heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the whipping Cream and Vanilla bean in a heavy Saucepan on medium heat. Scald Cream until a thin layer of skin forms on top. Make sure it does not come to a simmer. Beat egg Yolks in a Metal bowl with an electric mixer on High. Slowly add sugar and beat until the mixture turns Pale yellow and spins a ribbon about 2 to 3 minutes. When a bit of the mixture is lifted it should fall Back into the bowl forming a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface of the mixture. Remove the Vanilla bean. Add the Cream to the egg mixture and whisk rapidly until mixture becomes Frothy on top. Strain through a Sieve and put into 1 to 1 a quart round or Oval baking dish. Put dish into a deep roasting pan and add boiling water Halfway up the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour making sure the water Bath does not boil. If it gets too hot add cold water or ice. Allow to Cool at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve put a layer of Brown sugar Over the top place dish on cookie Sheet and Broil on top rack until Brown sugar caramelized. Makes 10 Servings. Raspberry Creme Brulee % Pound raspberries 1 Tablespoon Brandy optional 3 cups whipping Cream 1 Vanilla bean split or a Teaspoon Vanilla 8 egg Yolks % cup plus 3 Tablespoons sugar pick Over raspberries washing Only if Sandy. Sprinkle raspberries with optional Brandy and spread them evenly on the Bottom of eight cup ramekins. Put Vanilla bean in Cream scald Cream. Cover and leave to infuse about 10 minutes. Remove bean it can be used again. Beat egg Yolks and 3 Tablespoons sugar in a bowl until slightly thickened. Stir in scalded Cream slowly. If using liquid Vanilla stir in with Cream. Strain custard through a Sieve and pour evenly into the ramekins. Place ramekins in a larger pan. Fill with enough cold water to come Halfway up the outside of the ramekins. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until a thin skin forms on the top of the custard. The custard underneath should remain liquid. Chill ramekins in Freezer 15 minutes. Custard should be cold but not Frozen. To finish heat the broiler. Sprinkle each Ramekin with 1 a Tablespoons sugar to form a thin layer on top of the custard. Broil As close to the heat As possible until the sugar melts and caramelized. Do not overcook the custard or it will Bubble through the sugar. Let creams Cool to room temperature. Caramel will form a Crisp layer on custard. Chill. Serve within 2 to 3 hours. Makes 8 Servings. Member when an acceptable substitute for a biscuit o cookie Cutter was one end of an empty car when the ingredient list made reference to a no. 2 can when there was one � states and it held a bread which is Why so for a Coffee can for Brea d Pou id the matter of measure now Coffee in . Cans 12-ouncecans, 11 paper packaging As Wel to further confuse sometimes hold a Poun 13 ounces of Coffee any of us with recipe through several general be. Ize Coffee can in the United of Coffee it also held a loaf of Nany recipes years ago called baking. Supermarkets comes in 2-Pound 5-ounce cans and stiff airtight As 1-Pound cans. Matters those 1-Pound cans of Coffee and sometimes Only and a handful of this not measurements with Are comfortable. It was not until Fannie in 1896 that measurements virtually All Cookbook re measurements. What was precise in Page 14 the stars and stripes of Frozen Orange juice that have been handed Down on know How sketchy they can butter the size of an egg Are which most contemporary Cooks Farmer wrote her first Cookbook became standardized. Now ipes use precise 960, however in t necessarily precise today As one Reader bemoaned recently. Mary evens of new Providence n.j., tried to make a recipe for bread in two 1-Pound Coffee cans. I have a recipe that i use frequently to make bread evens wrote. It s called firehouse Coffee can bread but guess what the cans Are smaller now. I knew that the amount of Coffee was less it s Down to 11.5 ounces but i did t realize the can was so much smaller. Help what do i do with 1-Pound Coffee can recipes she went on to regret the changes in the sizes of Many products same Price smaller  this is what is known in the Trade As packaging to Price or downsizing. Since i Don t buy Coffeen cans i have not been watching the changes carefully and had to Check the Coffee Section of the supermarket to see if All the cans were smaller. Most american companies it seems now pack 13 ounces of Coffee in the old 16-ounce cans. How Long this Happy state of affairs will continue however is anybody s guess Given the advances in paper packaging Coffee cans in general May soon be a thing of the past. So anyone who has a recipe for yeast bread or Quick bread baked in a 1-Pound Coffee can had better Start hoarding. Evens can bake her bread in a loaf pan although when the Coffee cans go so does the shape. The Coffee can problem is reminiscent of the Cranberry incident a few years ago. After several poor crops Ocean Spray the Massachusetts Cranberry cooperative marketed 12 ounce bags of cranberries in the fall of 1980 instead of its usual 16-ounce bags. The new package was marked new convenient size american Cooks did not agree. The company was inundated with mail from irate Consumers wanting to know what they should do with their old recipes Many of which had been created and distributed by Ocean Spray that called for 16 ounces of cranberries. The company offered several new recipes to quiet the clamouring crowds and also suggested that Consumers could buy two packages or 24 ounces and use the leftovers for something else. It took several years for the juror to die Down but most recipes still Call for 16 ounces of cranberries. I Haven t a clue about the Resolution of yet another and hoc measurement problem cake recipes that Call for a Box of cake mix and a Box of packaged pudding mix. The recipe with its Many variations was quite popular in the 60s, when it was considered fashionable to use As Many convenience products As possible. These pudding cake recipes called for 4-ounce boxes of instant pudding. But a recent tour of the instant pudding shelf department of the local supermarket turned up packages that weigh 1 ounce 2 ounces 3 ounces 3v4 ounces 3% ounces 3va ounces and 3% ounces. Not a 4-ounce package in sight. And cake mixes Are no longer 1 Pound 3 ounces now they weigh anywhere from 1 Pound 21/4 ounces to 1 Pound 2va ounces which is probably close enough for reasonable results. And while a 3%-ounce package of pudding mix May work in the recipe i can t imagine that a 2-ounce package would produce the same cake. As to whether to use an empty Orange juice can to Cut cookies or biscuits since the first cans were 6 ounces Consumers Are fairly Safe in assuming that if the recipe is More than 15 years old a 6-ounce size which is still available is needed. By contrast Many Home Cooks will be hard pressed to translate recipes calling for no. 303 or no. 2va cans into contemporary terms. Even when cans had numbers instead of net weights they were not necessarily the same size. For example a no. 300 can could contain anywhere from 14 to 16 ounces while a no. 10 can could hold from 6 pounds 2 ounces to 7 pounds 5 ounces. So for those of you who have just found a recipe that supplies can size but not can weight tuck this information away for reference no. 1 can 10 to 12 ounces. No. 300 14 to 16 ounces. No. 1 a or no. 303 1 Pound 17 ounces. No. 2 1 Pound 4 ounces or 1 pint 2 fluid ounces. No. 2va 1 Pound 12 ounces to 1 Pound 14 ounces. No. 3 3 pounds 3 ounces or 1 quart 14 ounces. No. 10 6 pounds 2 ounces or 7 pounds 5 ounces. How to avoid Pitfalls while making Creme Brulee Baltimore Sunc a me Berglee is one of those recipes that seems More difficult to produce than it actually is. But there Are some Pitfalls from boiling hot water Baths to improperly mixed custards that can turn Delight into disaster. The following suggestions come from our own recipe testing and from Cooks and chefs although some recipes Call for quiche dishes or other Large containers Small ramekins make a better presentation for guests. If you have a Choice use the Small quiche dishes with a lip so they Are easier to lift out of the hot water Bath. Speaking of the hot water Bath one of the most important things to do is select the proper Large Container. Do not use anything that can Bend and Send the water pouring out All Over you and the Kitchen. The Best bet is a heavy aluminium or steel roasting pan with handles. Never use a Flimsy disposable pan. Many recipes Call for the seeds from inside the whole Vanilla bean. We found this too much trouble. A Good Quality Vanilla extract is a better alternative. If you want to add fresh red fruit such As strawberries or raspberries to a Standrd recipe make sure to add a few Tablespoons of flour As a thickening agent otherwise the extra juice from the fruit May make the Batter too watery. Make sure to keep monitoring the water Bath. If the water starts to boil add some ice or cold water. Otherwise the custard will get too  the calibration of the oven is very important. The dish should be cooked slowly at a Low temperature. The cram Berglee can be partially made ahead. You can refrigerate the custard up to two Days. Up to three hours before t serving add the Brown sugar Topping and place the ramekins on a cookie Sheet under the broiler to caramelize into a Rich dark Brown some chefs use a Blowtorch to caramelize the top of the Creme Brulee but this is not a Safe option for Home preparation. Other Cooks suggest using a Salamander Iron Williams and Sonoma stores in the United states Stock a $5 Iron. Be careful not to tamper with the amount of milk Cream or  Many eggs and the custard May curdle too few and it s a Runny mess. Stay True to the recipe. Likewise novices Are better off trying the versions in which the milk or Cream is not cooked on top of the stove first Charlene Varkonyi Friday february 1989 the stars and stripes Page 15