Mango Crème Brûlée

Everyone knows and loves (because how could you not?) the classic French dessert, crème brûlée. A delicate and delicious custard made with cream, egg yolks and sugar, finished with a crisp caramelised topping. The addition of mango purée takes it to a whole new level. Mango crème brûlée tastes exotic, tropical and wonderfully refreshing. It’s the kind of dessert that lingers in your memory and makes you wish you could eat several ramekins all by yourself… it’s that difficult to resist. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for mango crème brûlée:

• 350 ml double cream
• 150 ml mango purée
• 5 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 50 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the double cream, mango purée, vanilla extract and sugar into a saucepan. Stir to combine and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. The mixture should remain hot.  In a separate bowl, gently whisk the egg yolks until combined (do not whisk until light and fluffy). Gradually pour the hot cream and mango mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. If desired, strain the custard through a fine sieve to remove any small lumps.

Divide the mixture evenly between 5 small ovenproof ramekins, each with a capacity of approximately 150 ml.

Preheat the oven to 100°C. Place the ramekins into the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Towards the end of baking, check whether the custard is ready. The centre should still have a slight wobble but be set. The surface should remain pale and should not brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours. The custards can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Before serving, gently pat the surface dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle with brown or white sugar (approximately 2 teaspoons per ramekin). Avoid making the layer too thick, as the caramel topping may become overly hard. Caramelise the sugar using a kitchen blowtorch or, alternatively, under a very hot grill for a few seconds, taking care not to burn it. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!