Guest Post and Blog Tour for A Deadly Eclair (the 1st. French Bistro Mystery) by Daryl Gerber

This post was contributed by author Daryl Gerber. Her cozy mystery, A Deadly Eclair, is currently on tour with Escape with Dollycas Escape into a Good Book. 

Giveaway below!  Don’t miss out.

Hi, all! I’m so happy to be on the Great Escapes Tour. I’d like to share some of my favorite recipes from A Deadly Éclair, the 1^st French Bistro Mystery. It came out in  hardcover in November, but I’m excited to say it’s out in trade paperback as of June 12. And the second in the series, A Soufflé of Suspicion, comes out July 10!

One of my all-time favorite desserts is crème brûlée. I often order it at a restaurant, just to compare. For this luscious dessert, use the best vanilla beans available. If you’re planning this recipe for a party, remember to remove them from the refrigerator a few hours ahead so they can warm to room temperature before applying the vanilla sugar and heat to the top.

I like a utility blowtorch from a hardware store, but you can always spring for the big bucks and get a pretty one from a kitchen store, at double the cost.

Tip:  Vanilla sugar can be costly, but it’s worth it. However, you can prepare it at home by combining approximately 2 cups of white sugar with the scraped seeds of one vanilla bean. Put it in an airtight jar. Let the mixture age for about 2 weeks, and then use 2 tablespoons in place of one packet of vanilla sugar. Make sense?  Each time, replace the sugar that is used, and the vanilla beans will last indefinitely. Cool, right?

Enjoy the recipe, and please tell a friend about A Deadly Éclair and the giveaway for this tour!

Crème Brûlée

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (*you may use regular sugar)

6 large egg yolks

2 quarts hot water 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan, which has been set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and set aside for future use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup vanilla sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color.

Add the cream, a little bit at a time. Stir continually.

Pour the liquid into six (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into roasting pan or a 13 x 9 cake pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the ramekins until the crème brûlée is set, but still able to shake a little in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the crème brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to finishing the top.

Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the crème brûlée to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Below is the link to the tour’s rafflecopter and Dayl Gerber’s social media links:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792726/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

Visit Daryl or Avery at www.darylwoodgerber.com.

Daryl’s Blog – Avery’s Blog – Mystery Lover’s Kitchen – Killer Characters –

Facebook:   Daryl      Avery 

Twitter: @AveryAames @DarylWoodGerber

Goodreads:    Daryl Wood Gerber     Avery Aames

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