Almost everyone loves desserts as part of their meal, we all usually love to take delightful dishes that will bring satisfaction to our cravings. You could prefer simples cakes and cookies or more involved or elegant dishes such as tiramisu and crème brulee. Desserts vary across all board, even if you are not a huge fan, you will most likely find some desserts that you will like.
One of the desserts you could probably love could be crème brulee, it is mild and it has the entire perfect sweetness that makes the dish sumptuous. Many people have long been intimidated by the dish crème brulee because of the challenges involved to make it right and one of the challenges is finding the perfect ingredients to use.
In this article, we want to find out the best sugar for making your crème brulee. The best sugar to use for making your crème brulee is the one that is not excessively coarse. The perfect choice is granulated sugar but baker’s sugar can also be used and it is a bit finer when compared to granulated sugar and coarser when compared to powdered sugar.
We will show you the best type of sugar you should use for your crème brulee, some specific products and tips will be shared with you to ensure that you can work with the best type of sugar for your crème brulee. You should continue reading if you want to learn all you need to learn about this topic.
Your Guide to Sugar & Crème Brulee
If you decide to, it is possible to just use your old sugar, but if you want to get the sugar that will caramelize without having any effect on the remainder of your dish, you should follow a specific art and the art is all about using the perfect sugar for your crème brulee. You probably would have experienced the importance of using the perfect sugar if you have been working with crème brulee before.
If you are a beginner, you are likely to have struggled with the perfect sugar for your crème brulee and you might have been searching all over for the proper guidance so that your crème brulee will be just right. This is why we are here to provide some help. We have sampled and tested some of the sugars that are on the market and we have been able to get the best that works for your crème brulee. Get all the information that will be helpful for you in making your crème brulee.
How Crème Brulee is Made
We want to show you the reason sugar is very important and that is why we will like to show you a recipe for making crème brulee. A lot of recipes are available, some are more complicated when compared to others. For reference purposes, what we will show you is the simple option to help you understand that the sugar used for your crème brulee will impact the outcome:
- The ingredients needed include vanilla, salt, egg yolks, sugar, and heavy cream. Some people sometimes twist the flavor by adding espresso powder. They can be flavored differently, we are only showing you an example you can use.
- Start the process by heating salt and heavy cream in your saucepan on a stove.
- Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together in a separate bowl.
- Remove the cream from the heat and proceed to add vanilla to it.
- Temper sugar and egg mixture and slowly whisk in the heavy cream.
- You should then pour the mixture into a ramekins dish to bake until you have the center jiggly and the edges set. Depending on the oven you are using, set it at a temperature of 325°F and it would be done within 30 to 35 minutes.
- Proceed to remove the dish from the oven and leave it to slightly cool and place it inside the refrigerator overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Before you serve it, use sugar to top it and caramelize it using either your kitchen torch or a broiler.
If you want the dish to be perfected, you need to get the correct ratio for the heavy cream and egg yolks. They are the two main ingredients of this dish.
Choosing Crème Brulee Sugar Coating
If you have made your research and you have read series of reviews concerning the best sugar to use for making crème brulee, you will get to see from the reviews that you should ensure you select the sugar that is not overly coarse. The torch may not be able to cook the sugar if it is too coarse.
It could also be that some of your crème fillings would have ended up melting when you appropriately cook all the sugar and this is not the outcome that is expected. You are recommended to use super-fine sugars, traditionally made granulated sugar has been found to even work well. Check below for our best recommendations of sugar:
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Ideal No Calorie Xylitol Sweetener
This particular one is a replacement for sugar but that will still be suitable to help coat your crème brulee. It works just like granulated sugar. The granules are fine and they act in an exact way like sugar and also exactly like the flavor of sugar. This sweetener is, however, different in that the granules have no calories and have been found much healthier than sugar.
If you are a diabetic patient, this will work for you or in case you are on a specific diet that has restricted you from sugar. This sweetener is packaged in a 6-pack bag and the bags have been designed to be resealable pouches. Measure the sweetener the same way you will measure granulated sugar. There won’t be any noticeable differences between the sugar substitute and granulated sugar.
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Judee’s Superfine Caster Baker’s Sugar
The brand of sugar is superfine and it is made, manufactured, and packaged excellently well in the US. This option will give you gluten-free and nut-free sugar. The sugar has a reasonable price and its superfine granules will make crème brulee perfect when the top is torched.
The sugar is packaged inside a resealable packaging that is moisture-proof and foil-lined. It has been designed to stay alone and it is airtight enough to preserve and store the sugar that is within. The package is unique and no hardening or clumping will be detected during storage.
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C&H Professional Baker’s Sugar, Ultrafine
This particular sugar is known as ultrafine and it will help you for with of the things you need sugar for. The sugar is a specialized sugar used by professional bakers and you can use it to top your crème brulee. The sugar comes inside a four-pound box. Just a bit of ultrafine sugar goes a very long way.
The granules are perfect when your crème brulee is torched and it will cook evenly and quickly. The sugar is a bit expensive but it can still affordable for some professional qualities. A four-pack or a box can be purchased. The sugar has been allowed to pass through the special process of refining for the finest set of granules.
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C&H Pure Cane Granulated Sugar
This brand is well-known for sugar production. They have been producing sugar for several years and their sugar has been found trustworthy and reliable. This particular type of sugar we are considering is a pure and simple white granulated sugar. Typically, granulated sugar is fairly fine and it means coarseness should not ruin the topping of the crème brulee.
The sugar is found in a closable container and a bottle or a two or six-pack bottle can be purchased if you want. This particular type of sugar is fine and pure and it makes it an excellent option for desserts. You can also use it for some other things because it is very much affordable.
Summary
You are allowed to select any brand of sugar to top crème brulee but you should always remember that the sugar you need should be fine and very small for a perfect outcome. You will find a lot of ultrafine, superfine, or granulated sugar options that you can select from, just ensure you avoid sugars with coarse granules because their outcome will not be pleasant.
Related Questions
Does Powdered Sugar Work as a Topping?
Since powdered sugar is in powder form, it is fine enough, but you will not get the effect you desire by using it. Powdered sugar is not recommended to finish the crème brulee dish.
Can You Use Brown Sugar Instead of White Sugar?
Brown sugar can be used and it will work out well to help coat the crème brulee. To ensure the best outcome, use ultrafine or granulated sugar just the same way you will do with your white sugar.
Do You Have to Torch the Top of Crème Brulee?
The key to giving perfect finishing touch to the crème brulee is by caramelizing the sugar coating by using your kitchen torch. You can also use an oven broiler if you are not privileged to own a kitchen torch. You will still get the same result.
