Adding a touch of jam and fresh berries created an out of this world dessert: Crème Brûlée with Raspberries!

Leave it to Dorie Greenspan to tweak a classic, sugar-crusted custard dessert into something special.

Creme brulee with raspberries in a  white dish topped with fresh raspberries and mint

Crème Brûlée with Raspberries

Crème brûlée was today’s French Fridays with Dorie selection….perfect for Christmas Eve’s Eve. And Dorie’s version surprised us with some jewel-toned jam beneath the custard…so beautiful for the holidays. I was skeptical that Dorie’s recipe could rival my favorite Le Cirque crème brûlée which is cooked in a bain-marie…and made with all heavy cream. We also love this White Chocolate Crème Brûlée.  But the sound of Crème Brûlée with Raspberries was too tempting not to make. 

5 dishes filled with raspberry creme brulee

How to Make Raspberry Creme Brulee

I made 3 with raspberry jam (just a teaspoon smeared on the bottom of the ramekin), 2 plain, and 1 dotted with fresh raspberries.  All were terrific….even with a bit of milk added to the cream…and even without the water bath.  Dorie’s oven temperature was lower and cooking time longer (200º for an hour), and it’s actually just as creamy. And the berries take this from typical to extraordinary…thumbs up this week!  Merry Christmas to all my wonderful friends across the globe who are celebrating this weekend!!!

Creme brulee with raspberries for a delicious twist on the classic custard dessert
This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Around My French Table (affiliate link).

And on a side note, I just received the Fabulous Blog Award from Balvinder (AKA Neetu) from Gluten Free Food.  Thank you so much…it’s such an honor to be recognized by a wonderful blogger and friend!  She asked me to share a kitchen disaster on her site, so I’ll spill it here, too:

The first time I made bubble roll, I mistakenly used an angel food pan instead of a solid tube pan. A pool of caramel seeped from the pan and covered the bottom of my oven; I immediately turned on the self-cleaning setting after removing the rolls. Flames soon filled the oven as the sugar caught on fire, then our smoke detector alerted the fire department.  A huge hook and ladder fire engine, sirens blaring, appeared in front of our house…and I had to explain that I was just burning breakfast!