BLOOD ORANGE CREME BRÛLÉE

A surprisingly simple dessert from “Vegan: The Cookbook” by JeanChristian Jury, who writes that the recipes in his comprehensive plantbased opus are a “celebration of plant vitality and variety.”

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 cup soy cream

1/4 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons egg replacer, mixed

with 4 tablespoons warm water 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine

sugar, divided

4 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon finely grated orange

zest

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the vanilla, soy cream, and almond milk in a saucepan and stir well.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens.

Combine the egg replacer with the 1/4 cup superfine sugar in a large bowl, then gradually pour in the thickened cream, whisking constantly.

Mix in the orange juice and zest. Pour the mixture into 4 ramekins and place them in a large baking pan. Pour boiling water into the baking pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the oven and the water bath and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Just before serving, sprinkle

1/2 tablespoon sugar on top of each ramekin and, using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelize the sugar until golden brown.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 208 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 2 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 29 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “Vegan: The Cookbook” by JeanChristian Jury (Phaidon, $49.95).