ISO Disposable cups for creme brulee

[JeanneCake]

This coming Sunday, I'm participating in a charity event along the lines of a "Taste of " with lots of other restaurants (but there's only two dessert people - me and someone who's doing apple pies).

I want to do the Champagne Creme Brulee from Dessert University but need to find a source for a disposable cup (like a 5 oz size - these don't need to be huge, they're not supposed to be a regular dessert size) that I can use a torch with - the usual plastic ones won't survive so I think I need something like a foil cup but it would have to be sturdy (this is a stovetop recipe so I don't need to bake them)

OR

If you've made this recipe, can I skip the torched sugar and just use the frosted (sugared) grapes as garnish....? I had even been thinking that I would sugar/torch them to order for a little flourish at the table but maybe the best thing is to skip the burnt sugar altogether and just do the grapes...

Edited September 12, 2005 by JeanneCake (log)

[Chezkaren]

Reynolds makes a 4-oz. aluminum cup that I use for creme brulee. You can also bake in it. It's not the most glamourous looking cup but... Don't know who your vendors are but I get mine from Sysco.

[Pam R]

I'm sorry I don't know the name of the company, but there is a line of black plastic ware that is oven, freezer and microwave proof - I've been looking for something for creme brulee myself and found these last week at my paper/packaging supplier. Since they are oven proof... I'm hoping that means they'd work. Otherwise, yes they make small foil tart pans.

good luck!

[Wendy DeBord]

I've made that recipe before and really like it. I do think you've got to torch them off to call them a creme brulee.........and I do think it adds to the over all taste, gives you a contrasting crunch to the soft custard.

I'd probably look into using foil cups, myself.

Also when I make brulee's, after I torch them off I still garnish on top. I really like a little dollop of whipped cream for some contrast, or some fruit (if the brulee didn't have fruit on the bottom).

[chiantiglace]

just an idea, which ive done before. How about doing free standing creme brulee from molds and garnishing with a some bubble sugar?

[Wendy DeBord]

ah good idea Chiantiglace, come to think of it, you could serve this in mini tart shells, I serve creme brulee in puff pastry cups and people really like that.

[CanadianBakin']

I'm sorry I don't know the name of the company, but there is a line of black plastic ware that is oven, freezer and microwave proof - I've been looking for something for creme brulee myself and found these last week at my paper/packaging supplier.  Since they are oven proof... I'm hoping that means they'd work.  Otherwise, yes they make small foil tart pans.

good luck!

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I have some of these pans. They are made by Glad but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to torch or broil them. I think the maximum temperature they can handle is about 400F. I'm sure the Glad site will have the details.

[fiftydollars]

I've used the aluminum tart pans with good results. They don't look particularly fancy but they hold up nicely through the waterbath, torching, and whatnot...

[JeanneCake]

ah good idea Chiantiglace, come to think of it, you could serve this in mini tart shells, I serve creme brulee in puff pastry cups and people really like that.

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I had PM'd Chiantiglace asking about the free standing brulee technique, and then I remembered the brulee tarts from somewhere.... and mini tart shells are easier to find than these pressed foil pie pans. (they sell 500 tickets, and I was planning between 200-250 of these). The recipe calls for champagne-macerated grapes in the bottom, which wouldn't get covered up in a tart shell, but the sugared grape garnish will look nice.

Wendy, when you made this, what brand of champagne did you use? What about torching them to order (right in front of the guests as they're wandering table to table) - any reason not to?

Thanks for all the pointers, everyone

[pastrymama]

If you choose to do them in the tart shells, you will have to be careful when you torch them so as not to burn the shell. I am making 250 mini in puff pastry hearts as part of a trio plate for a wedding this weekend and I am making carmelized sugar shards on silpats in the oven, then I will just take pieces and set on top at an angle so it is also a garnish and not burn the tops. You could add some shards with your grapes to have the brulee flavor and I think it would look great with the grapes.

[BonfireCuisine]

Following what Pastrymama said – I kind of did the same thing she did but without the oven and in a hurry.

I was doing some desserts for a wine auction. The space was small with no real area to prepare. I wanted something that would work without wasting a lot of time doing it. I wanted to make crème brulees but didn’t want to have to torch 200 of them at the event. Toasting a head of time was out of the question so out of frustration (ok late at night and tired), I threw some sugar on a silpat and took out the torch to see if what I thought would happen would. I had made one large caramelized hard shell sugar pane. Picked it up and broke it into pieces. This worked perfect, I was able to set up the dessert tray with the brulees and place a piece of caramelized sugar on each one. It had the soft texture of the crème and the hard crunch of the sugar.

I guess what someone once said “Out of desperation comes inspiration” which for me holds so true.

Then of course after the event was over and talking to other chefs I know, so many other people have also done this but at the time I thought it was something new. Sleep deprivation can ...zzZZzzzZZz

Jason

[JeanneCake]

I am making carmelized sugar shards on silpats in the oven, then I will just take pieces and set on top at an angle so it is also a garnish and not burn the tops.  You could add some shards with your grapes to have the brulee flavor and I think it would look great with the grapes.

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Thank you, everyone, for the carmelized sugar/bubble sugar/shards idea. Now I can go back to using the 5 oz clear plastic cups (no expense because the caterer I share with is willing to give them to me!), and use the silpat/torched sugar for the garnish along with the sugared grapes.

Thanks again!

[Wendy DeBord]

Make sure you taste them with the shards.

Personally, I think thats too thick of a piece of sugar....I don't like to eat that myself. If you use isomalt to make bubble sugar you won't get the caramelized sugar taste, just hard crunch.

I do think people would be very interested in seeing you torch them off in public......taking precautions of course.

Champagne I used..........we always have a couple left over open bottles at the bar.......I just used whatever they had. Just pick a popular brand you like.

Have you any grand plans for you table decor?

[pastrymama]

I don't think the sugar shards I made were too thick. Not any different than what would be on a regular torched creme brulee. I just sprinkled a thin coat of sugar on the silpat and let it carmelize. Really quite thin, just make sure not to get it too browned, or it will get bitter. You could also use crystal sugar and just let it be about one crystal thick.

[JeanneCake]

I do think people would be very interested in seeing you torch them off in public......taking precautions of course.

Champagne I used..........we always have a couple left over open bottles at the bar.......I just used whatever they had. Just pick a popular brand you like.

Have you any grand plans for you table decor?

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For the table set up, everyone gets an 8' table with white linens/skirting- and my original thought - if I was using the flameproof containers - was a long silver platter piled up with sugared grapes, a bowl of sugar with the spoon and my little torch (not the industrial one from the shop) and then my cupcake stand lined with lemon leaves with all the creme brulees on it (this is what the stand looks like with just cupcakes on it cupcake tree so people could take one off the stand, present it to be torched and garnished. If I do the sugar on the silpat, I'd put the sugar on them before I leave the shop; but that means less "show" at the table unfortunately .

Admittedly, I've been spinning in circles about whether to do tartlet shells or the cups. I really liked the idea of torching at the table .... but wasn't crazy about the pie pan things. Pidy has some puff pastry shells that might work for this (I don't have time to make my own) and are not too expensive (click on products when the site opens: pidy shells - but I don't know which one I'd go with - the bouchee? mignardise? zakouzi? maybe I should revisit this idea.... ahh, indecision, indecision!!

Edited September 13, 2005 by JeanneCake (log)

[Tweety69bird]

Um... I have a questions that seems appropriate to post here -

Is it that easy to pop the creme brulee out of the form that was used to bake it in and have it free standing? It'll come out in one piece? I haven't had any problems doing creme caramel, but always thought that the caramel that is sitting on the bottom forms a shield between the creme and the container, so sticking isn't a factor. However, with creme brulee, there is no barrier, so that worries me. What about freezing them? Thought?

[bripastryguy]

I find at any event I do, I always brulee or torch something. It makes a cool show and the aroma draws people from all over the room

[chiantiglace]

Freeze the brulee and then slightly warm the molds with a torch or warm water. flip upside down and pat out. Some molds may need the use of dragging a paring knife around the rim to help the brulee slide out. The more shallow to mold the more difficult the extraction.

These rules dont necessarily apply with silicone. Make sure you freeze them though.

[Pam R]

I realize that your event is long over, but I was just emailed a price list from Qualita Paper today and they have disposable, oven and microwavable Creme Brulee containers - with lids available.

Of course, I can't find the item on their website, but if anybody needs it, they have them. I'll be adding some to my order.