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Mary, glad I could help. What I got from the video is that patience is needed to get it creamy and smooth. So using a fine mesh sieve and taking time to make sure there are no seeds from the strawberries or vanilla is important. Also the water bath for the custard. I make Cuban flan, but use the pressure cooker, and it has been a long time since I've used a water bath for custard so no help from me there.

I wonder if its made like a panna cotta with bruleed sugar...

No it was definitely a custard but adding the strawberry puree to a panna cotta is a very good idea. Thanks Alina! My biggest problem with Creme Brûlée is over baking it. The video is good as it shows what that jiggle stage looks like!

Mary

Mary,

They probably used strawberry puree. I make crème brûlée at work all the time, but I've never made a strawberry one. I would think you might need a little more yolk to help firm them up. I may have to try this.

Amy

You so have to try this Amy. Did you look at the video? Does the yolk ratio look ok to you?

Mary

Mary,

You are right about the shortage yolks. 3 yolks per cup of heavy cream is normal. This recipe uses about half that amount even with the added puree. I don't get the single egg white, but that may help bind it together; it would also change the texture.

The best practice is to divide the cream, heat it to 170, temper the whipped egg yolks, add puree, reheat to 180 and strain. Then the final cup of cream is added to speed cooling.

This is definitely a creme brulee. Panna Cottal is thickened with gelatin and will dissolve if you try to brulee the top.

Tim

Mary,

I didn't even see Alina's link until you pointed it out. I'm going to use the recipe I always use adding a little extra yolk And, I'm not going to cook the strawberries. I think I'd prefer the brightness of sweet, fresh berries. I'll wiz them in my VM, strain them, then drain to remove excess moisture.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Amy

I wondered about that... the one I had didn't taste cooked. I think I would add the puree after doing all the custard to 180. I don't quite get what you are doing to the strawberries though Amy. Are you adding the pulp? The one I had didn't have any pulp for sure. I can't think about this anymore, my mouth is watering.

Mary

I'd be tempted to try running fresh strawberries through a juicer.

Tim

Tim you devil! If you have asthmatic friends, fresh strawberries are usually a no-no for them since they trigger or worsen asthma. Cooked strawberries do not. So while we all may prefer the flavor of fresh, for some cooked is best. Oh yeah, this is going into Creme Brûlée. Nebber mind, they are going to get cooked along the way.