Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Description: A classic french dessert that is creamy and decadent, yet equally esquisite and elegant. The recipe is New York Time's Vanilla Crème Brûlée by Mark Bittman

Cremebrulee1 Creme Brulee with berries Cremebrulee3

Ingredients

2 cups heavy or light cream (or half-and-half)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt; cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)

Step 2

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the vanilla cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Step 3

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.

Step 4

When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer.

Step 5

Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within 2 hours.

Recipe Website References

The Food Network

The website has eyecatching saturated images. I like that there are recipe suggestions on the side and the alignment makes it easier to read the recipie and notes. The checks for the ingredients makes it really easy to keep track of what ingredinets you have prepped as well. The directions are numbered in a much larger font, allowing for the user to easily keep track of where they are on the page.

Broma

The website has a very distinct aesthetic. The titles are all in a serif font while the captions, paragraphs, and notes are in a sans-serif font. This makes the titles really stand out. I also like that every recipe has a lot of pictures.

The Wok of Life

There is a strong brand identity created from the images and fonts. It's simple and modern. They use black square border around each recipe that is very reminicient of an old fashioned recipe card. They also include numerous photos of the process and gently guides the user through the recipe. Furthermore, it has the checkboxes for the ingredients as well as a slider function for scaling the recipe up and down.

Non-Recipe Website References

DEUX

I like the moving banners that draws your attention. I also like the plus tabs that appear with images. It packages all of the marketing in a scroll with beautiful and eyecatching imagry and colors. It's over the top, but that is their brand.

NIOD

I appreciate the simple and effective graphics that reflect their brand identity to simplify skincare. The graphic interface is engaging. Futhermore, pops of color and gifs help break up the monotony of the black and white making the website feel innovative and exciting. This is also reflected in their photography.

Amika:

The brand identity and continuity is built from the use of strong and vibrant colors, specifically red, pinks, and oranges. The imagery is beautiful and there is minimal text.