Eggnog Creme Brûlée
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- Pinch salt
Heat oven to 325. Arrange 6 ramekins (about 8 ounces each) in a baking pan. Fill baking pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins creating a water bath for custards. Pour cream into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and scald. Stir in bourbon.
Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks until slightly thicken and pale yellow. Add scalded cream to egg mixture - slowly so not to curdle custard - whisking constantly until all the cream is incorporated. Pass mixture thru a fine sieve. Stir in nutmeg and pinch salt. Ladle mixture into ramekins. Cover baking pan with foil and transfer to oven - careful not to slosh. Bake until custard is set but still trembly at center. Remove from oven and let stand in water bath about 15 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate to chill at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). Remove custards from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup sugar over the tops of each custard - about a scant tablespoon for each. Use a torch to melt the sugar creating a golden caramel crust.