Coconut Creme Brulee

A tropical twist on a classic dessert! Many countries claim to have invented this caramelized creamy treat, but it’s most popular in France and is a standard dessert served in French restaurants. My first experience with coconut crème brulee was not in a French restaurant or a place you would expect to serve it.  I had it at a sushi restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA called RA when my Mother in-law and Father in-law were visiting us last year to spend time with their granddaughter. Hungry and aimlessly walking up and down the streets of Huntington Beach trying to find a place open past 9pm, we heard faint music in the distance and saw a red sign saying RA Sushi off our beaten path and decided to go for it. Not expecting extremely loud music or a large crowd when we walked in, we threw out our “kid friendly” restaurant standards and started pounding sushi immediately.  After we were done and our bellies were full, my in-laws decided to take a look at the dessert menu and my Father in-law was sold on the idea that the coconut crème brulee was going to be an interesting choice that we would enjoy.  Not really remembering what crème brulee tasted like and always mistaking it for tiramisu, I went along with the idea that it was going to be great because in my mind I was only planning on having a bite anyways because I was still so full from dinner. My Father in-law briefly excused himself from the table and during that time our server brought out the coconut crème brulee.  I grabbed my spoon, took my first bite and Oh My Gosh! I was in love! One bite turned into two, three, four, five bites and then next thing you know it there was just a little corner left in the dish and my Mother in-law kindly reminded us that my Father in-law had not had any yet. Shoot! Why didn’t we order two?? I patiently sat there staring at it waiting for my Father in-law to return and doing everything in my power to stop myself from picking up my spoon one more time and having just a tiny bit more.  It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to recreate this dish so that I could enjoy it as often as I wanted.  

¾ cup of sugar

6 large egg yolks

1 large egg

1 ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 can (14 ounce) unsweetened canned coconut milk*

2 tablespoons coconut rum

Whisk sugar, egg and vanilla in a large bowl and set aside.

Mix cream and coconut milk in medium sauce pan. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture, add coconut rum and stir together.  Pour custard into ramekins or custard cups.

Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Fill pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 40-50 minutes, until edges are set but centers move slightly when dishes are shaken. (If you have to bake them longer, you’ll need to add more water to the baking dish if it’s running low).

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard. Using kitchen torch, heat sugar until melted and deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Place ramekins on rimmed baking sheet and broil until sugar melts and turns deep amber, 1 to 2 minutes.) Chill until sugar hardens, about 15 minutes.