Rosemary Crème Brulee with Seasonal Fruit

Serves 4

• 4 Egg Yolks
• 2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• ¼ cup Honey
• 1 ½ cups Heavy Cream
• ½ cup Milk
• 2-3 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• Pinch of Kosher Salt
• About 4 tsp. granulated Sugar (for the tops)
• Seasonal Fruit, sliced for garnish

Preheat oven to 300F

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk and cream and bring to a gentle boil.  Then add the rosemary sprigs, and remove from heat.  Allow to steep for 10-15 minutes, then strain before using.
2. While liquid is steeping, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, honey, salt, and sugar until fully combined, and the mixture looks light and fluffy.  Now, whisk in the warm cream mixture* mixing well to combine.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Divide the mixture into 4 ramekins that hold at least 1/2 cup.  Set into a baking pan and move pan to oven.  Add enough hot water to the pan (being careful to not get any into the ramekins) to go about half-way up the ramekins.  Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until the outside is set, and the center still a bit jiggly (the temperature should be 165F).
3. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in water until able to be handled.  Then remove from water and chill for 1-2 hours.
4. Dab any moisture from the tops of the custards (GENTLY) with a dry paper towel, then sprinkle about 2 tsp of the granulated sugar evenly across the tops.  You can broil them in the oven or use a handheld blowtorch to lightly brown the sugar.  Then, chill for about 5 minutes and serve with sliced fresh fruits and berries.

*If the cream mixture is still very hot, allow it to cool more, or temper your egg yolks by only whisking in about 1 oz of the hot cream to help raise the temperature, then another oz.  Then, your eggs should be warm enough to combine without curdling.