Gingerbread crème brulee

Sara Steele of Botero

“This is one of my favorite brûlée recipes,” says Botero pastry mastermind Sara Steele. “Almost all of my brûlées consist of the same base recipe; this one is so full of holiday flavor, it’s surprising when it hits your mouth.” And if you want to flex some creative muscle to end your Thanksgiving meal, Steele suggests: “It’s fun to decorate as well with gingerbread men tuiles and red currants.”

Ingredients:

3 cups heavy cream

3 cups half & half

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups egg yolks

3 cinnamon sticks

½ oz. chopped ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 oz. molasses

Directions: Bring cream, half & half, ginger and cinnamon to a boil. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, molasses and spices. Pour the hot mixture slowly into the egg mixture while whisking. Add back to the original pot, cook for 1 minute and strain. Pour the mixture into 4-oz ramekins so that each one is three-quarters full. Place the ramekins in a pan with sides deep enough to fill the bottom of the pan with water that reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake at 275 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until set.