CUSTARD SPECTACULAR PART 1:
In this episode of Bake it Up a Notch, Erin Jeanne McDowell dives into the world of baked custards, taking on two of the most famous: Crème Brûlée & Pot de Crème. In part one of three of her Custard Spectacular, Erin discusses the versatility of the custard. Here's what she has to say about them:

POT DE CRÈME: "Pot de crème is a simple baked custard of French origin. Made with scalded, sweetened cream and egg yolks, it transforms from liquid to luxuriously creamy solid in the oven. One of the keys to its final, spoonable and smooth consistency is to keep the custards covered in the oven. This can be done in a variety of ways—it’s easy to cover the whole tray in foil to serve as an all-purpose cover, or you can bake the custards in jars, and use the jar lids to keep each portion covered during baking. There are many reasons to love this dessert: the short ingredient list, the simple method, not to mention it’s a perfect dessert to make ahead."

CRÈME BRÛLÉE: "As if crème brûlée, a beloved baked custard with a crackly caramelized sugar top, wasn’t decadent enough. Meet the version boasting a “black bottom” of silky bittersweet chocolate ganache. This extra layer will definitely bake your brûlée up a notch, but it’s easy to do! Just two ingredients make up the ganache, which is poured into the base of a ramekin, and spread into an even layer. The custard is poured on top and baked to just-set perfection. Crème brûlée is known as a popular make-ahead dessert because the whole thing can be refrigerated after cooling and brûléed just before serving. However, the ganache layer hidden inside makes this custard uniquely delicious if served warm or at room temperature, shortly after baking—so both the chocolate and the custard are similar creamy textures."

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - Making the Custard Base
3:06 - Making Pot de Crème
4:28 - Infusing Sugar
6:23 - Infusing and Scalding Milk
9:08 - Baking the Pot de Crème
10:06 - Making Crème Brûlée
11:20 - Making the Ganache
12:00 - Getting the Custard Base Ready
12:57 - Using the Blow Torch
13:47 - Baking the Crème Brûlée
14:17 - Caramelizing and Serving the Crème Brûlée
16:58 - Mistakes Happen!

GET THE RECIPE:
Orange Vanilla Pot de Crème: https://food52.com/recipes/89949-oran...
Black Bottom Crème Brûlée: https://food52.com/recipes/89948-blac...

PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO:
Le Creuset Demi Tea Kettle: https://food52.com/shop/products/8733...

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