Add Corn To Your Crème Brûlée And Thank Us Later

Not to be corny, but this maize just be a game changer in your baking game. Crème brûlée is a simple dessert. It consists of a custard, usually flavored with vanilla, cooked until creamy, and covered in a thin layer of burnt sugar. It is the perfect combination of smooth and crunchy; sweet, and burnt, almost bitter taste. So what could possibly be added to make this dish better? Corn. Yes, corn, usually reserved for use as a dinner side, makes the perfect addition to your crème brûlée. 

The taste of corn, and especially sweet corn, is apt for use in desserts. Just look at the dessert possibilities of canned corn. Sweet corn ice cream, for example, is an unexpected but buttery treat that has a warm, subtle, and unique taste. Similarly, corn infused crème brûlée brings out the sweetness inherent to the crop, as well as a certain freshness that brightens up the creamy dessert. (Of course, if corn infused crème brûlée isn't your thing, you can also add a bit of sweet potato flavoring by cooking the dish inside the sweet, colorful root vegetable.)

To incorporate corn into your dessert, you will want to make sure to use fresh corn in the custard, as canned might include extra ingredients, sweeteners, or water which can impact the texture. You might also prefer to use fresh corn, as the corn's cob can be used to infuse your custard with additional flavor. However, if fresh corn isn't available to you, frozen corn will also work. Just make sure to thaw the corn before you add it in to your custard.

The method of infusing corn into your crème brûlée varies based on which recipe you use. However, in general, the dish calls for corn to be cut from the cob and placed into your cream mixture (along with the cob) and simmered on the stove top. Once done cooking, the mixture should be cooled. Then, you will remove the cob and blend the corn kernels with the cream and strain, preparing your custard as is standard for crème brûlée. This will produce a perfectly smooth, corn infused crème brûlée.

If you want a bit more texture to the dish, you can always reserve half of your corn and add it back into your custard once strained. This will give you a great balance of corn texture and that classic, smooth crème brûlée texture. If you'd like to play up the toasty, brûlée aspect of the dish, you can also saute and brown your corn kernels on the stove top prior to adding to your custard mix. This will give your corn more depth of flavor, and add another layer of complexity to the classic dessert.