“People are often nervous about making this dessert but these are my fail proof, very easy crème brûlées! It can be awkward cooking them in a water bath and getting the timing and temperate just right. In this recipe they don’t get cooked in the oven at all, just on the stove and then they cool into a perfectly rich, smooth custard. Peaches and cream are classic aromatic, complementary flavours and these will get made again and again.” - Sophie Michell Serves 6 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 60 minutes Ingredients 2 Large peaches 50g Caster sugar Dash of peach schnapps (optional) 450ml Double cream 200ml Milk 5 Egg yolks 100g Caster sugar 1 Vanilla pod (split and scraped)
Method 1. First of all de-stone the peaches and cut into approximately 1cm dice. Add these to a saucepan along with the sugar and a splash of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until softened, then take off the heat and cool. 2. Next, heat the cream, milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Just as the mixture comes to the boil, remove from the heat and strain into the egg and sugar mix and stir well. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and slowly bring back up to simmer again, keep stirring and do not heat too much or too quickly. You want it to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. 3. Place 6 ramekins on a tray and add a tablespoon of the peach mix to the bottom of each dish, then top up with the custard. Cool completely and then place in the fridge to chill overnight. 4. To serve, sprinkle some Demerara sugar over the top, grill or blow torch until caramelised and serve. Recipe courtesy of South African fruits by Sophie Michell