Everyone loves a good crème brulee, right? Well, I mean, everyone who actually likes dessert. And my husband and I are in that group. It’s funny how often I’ll post a dessert recipe I’m excited about, my husband will ask if we’re having it for Christmas, and I’ll say no, we’re not even having it for New Years either because I’m just not in the mood. And he’ll say, “But you just said you were excited about it!” I’m not sure what my brain was thinking there, but anyway, that’s where this recipe fits in.

But, I promise, I’m going to make this recipe for the holiday season. It just won’t be this month because I’m not in the mood yet. But this is the kind of dessert that needs to be made for Christmas, you know? It’s the kind of dessert that’s great for the holidays. It’s the kind of dessert you want to make when you want to make a really good impression.

And hey, it’s desserts like these that make people think you’re some sort of awesome, over the top, fabulous cook. But the truth is, it is really stunning to look at, and is actually quite simple to make. It’s just really pretty, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (240ml) half and half
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (120ml) unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
• 3 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
2. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, half and half, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the vanilla bean and add the orange juice, lemon juice, orange extract, lemon extract, orange zest and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour until smooth. Add to the cream mixture and stir to combine.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish and place pears on top.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the custard has set and the pears are tender.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
8. To make the caramelized sugar, place about 1/3 of the sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar melts and becomes a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour over the top of the custard.
9. Place the remaining sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar melts and becomes a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour over the top of the custard.
10. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it is a golden brown color.
11. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.