CAMBRIDGE BURNT CREAM

MANY call it crème brûlée. I’m one of those who happen to believe this silky dessert was created at Trinity College, Cambridge. There, before serving, they crack the caramel top and toss whole raspberries on top, creating a delicious texture and taste.

Serves 8

900 ml (1½ pt) double cream

100 ml (3½ fl oz) whole milk

170 g (6 oz) caster sugar, plus extra for the topping

3 vanilla pods, split in half lengthways

9 egg yolks

400 g-500 g raspberries

Preheat the oven to 120c/fan 100c/gas ½.

In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, 50 g (1¾ oz) of the sugar, and the split vanilla pods. Slowly bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 120 g (4¼ oz) sugar.

When the cream and milk mixture reaches the boil, remove from the heat, take out the vanilla pods and pour it over the e gg a nd s ugar, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling. Scrape the seeds f rom the vanilla pods and stir into the mixture in the bowl.

Pour into a 25 cm x 15 cm ovenproof dish or eight individual ramekins arranged on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. It should have a slight wobble when it’s done. allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least two hours.

When you are ready to serve, preheat the grill to high. Place the large dish or ramekins on a baking tray, and sprinkle the top with caster sugar.

Grill until the sugar is brown. (You can use a blow torch on the topping instead: brown the sugar f r om t he outside of the ramekin, working towards the centre.)

Leave the topping to cool and harden, and then sprinkle over another layer of caster sugar and repeat the browning process. this will make it extra crunchy.

take the Cambridge Burnt Cream to the table, and then break the top and scatter with the fresh raspberries.