Crème brûlée facts for kids
Crème brûlée (say "krem broo-LAY") is a yummy dessert. It is a rich, creamy custard with a special crunchy topping. This topping is made of caramelized sugar. You can eat Crème brûlée cold, warm, or at room temperature.
To make it, the creamy custard is baked first. Then, sugar is sprinkled on top. This sugar is heated until it turns into a hard, glassy caramel crust. This is often done with a kitchen blowtorch or under a hot broiler.
The custard usually tastes like vanilla. But sometimes, chefs add other flavors. These can include chocolate, orange, or different fruits.
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Where Did Crème Brûlée Come From?
The exact start of Crème brûlée is a bit of a mystery! France, England, and Spain all say they invented this delicious dessert.
The French Claim
The first printed recipe for a dessert called Crème brûlée appeared in a French cookbook. This was in 1691, in a book called Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois. It was written by Francois Massialot, who was a cook for the king at the famous Palace of Versailles. His recipe was for a sweet custard made with egg yolks and milk, topped with burnt sugar. It sounds very much like the Crème brûlée we enjoy today!
The English Claim
At Trinity College, Cambridge in England, there was a dessert known as 'burnt cream'. People say it might have been served there as early as 1630. For this dessert, the college's special crest (like a logo) was burned into the sugar on top of the custard using a hot iron.
The Spanish Claim
People from Catalonia in Spain believe their dessert, crema catalana, is the original. This is a rich custard often flavored with cinnamon and lemon or orange peel. It also has a caramelized sugar topping. The first time crema catalana was written down was in the 18th century.
It is also called Crema de Sant Josep, which means "Saint Joseph's Cream". This is because it is a traditional dessert served on March 19th, which is Saint Joseph’s Day in Spain and many other parts of Europe.
Images for kids
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The sugar being caramelized with a blowtorch
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See also
In Spanish: Crème brûlée para niños
