I LOVE… I mean… REALLY LOVE angel food cake! Being so fluffy, it really feels like you bit into a piece of heavenly goodness. It takes a lot of egg whites, and only the egg whites! What in the world do you do with yolk? There MUST be some kind of really delicious, easy recipe for egg yolks! Well, according to some, you might as well make a creme brulee. After looking through many recipes on the net, I decided to consult the book, “Bon Appetit Desserts”, and found the letters “Caramel Creme Brulee” in the index. Alas, there are no pictures… No fear, even without trusty pictures, I will manage to get through with my first creme brulee!
Alright, big challenge #1: Separating the egg yolks. Man, the pros make it look so easy. Whether you are using an egg separator, egg shells, or even a funnel (haven’t tried that one yet, let me know how it works out) there is still that evil possibility that your yolks will get into your whites and thus you cannot use your whites to make delicious angel food cupcakes. No! Even if a minuscule amount of egg yolk manages to slip through, game over. Trust me… I know the fate of the whites when whipped with the fearsome yolk!
Challenge #2: Melting the sugar. Harder than it seems when your cream isn’t ready to be poured into the burnt sugar. It didn’t occur to me that a pint is about the same as two cups of cream, so instead of measuring like crazy, (while hot, amber bubbles begin to form rapidly) I could have just poured the pint into the fluid. Luckily the sugar didn’t become too burnt, or else it would’ve had a bitter taste to it. Unless you like it that way, I don’t suggest over cooking the sugar.
Challenge #3: Paying close attention to the directions and not ignoring them. Probably one of things I struggle with most. Never question the recipe! There seems to be some kind of logic to the instructions, despite how it may seem at time. My advice: when making something for the first time it is best to go through the recipe from beginning to end. Make adjustments later depending on the results you get.
After mixing the egg yolk mixture with the caramel creme, all I need to do was put the thick, creamy stuff into the ramekins. Wait a long time, chill it, wait a long time, put a layer of caramelized sugar on the top (I don’t have a torch), not wait a long time, and eat. Next time I’ll probably be a little more successful if I decided to be patient, and maybe listen to the part that says “hot water” or “refrigerate overnight”.
-Dimond
Dimond's Domain 
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