Entertaining + Creme Brulee Recipe

I don't get to entertain as much as I would like these days, but I always love it when I get a chance! I partnered with Oriental Trading Company to set this gorgeous Welcome Spring brunch table! I chose pink, gold, navy, and white as my main colors and I simply adore how this turned out. It's simple yet elegant and feels festive.

Check out the Navy Blue Chevron Hanging Lanterns!

The beautiful Gold Shimmer Burlap Table Runner and Gold Metallic Chargers were my base - both can be used many times over, which I love! I kept the centerpiece simple with a chalkboard I already owned and two gorgeous Milk Jug Vases tied with Hot Pink Baker's Twine - I decided to put some tealights inside, but I think they would also be stunning with flowers and I can't wait to use them again. The final part of the festive decor was the Navy Blue Chevron Hanging Lanterns which hung from the light and looked so pretty.

I love the Gold Shimmer Burlap Table Runner and the Milk Jug Vase!

I love the color combination!

The place settings anchored by the chargers included Navy Blue Chevron Scalloped Paper Dinner Plates, Hot Pink Paper Dessert Plates, Hot Pink Luncheon Napkins, and Premium Gold Metallic Cutlery. The quality on all of these items was really excellent and the combination perfect. I absolutely loved the chevron of the plates and hanging lanterns - so fun! I used the Dictionary Stickers & Tags for place cards tied with the baker's string and set them on the plates to finish the place setting.

The stunning place setting! The Metallic Gold Chargers were truly beautiful and will be so versatile. 

I always love including party favors and these Gold Takeout Boxes were awesome for that! I used Vintage Washi Tape and the baker's string to dress up the boxes a bit.

The simple favor with Gold Takeout Boxes decorated with Vintage Washi Tape were super cute! 

I've used Oriental Trading Company in the past for Oscars Parties, birthday parties, and other events and have not been disappointed. I love that you can mix and match what works for any theme and any price point!

I couldn't let you go without including a recipe for your next event! One of my kids asked for creme brûlée because he had seen it on a baking show and didn't know what it was. I obliged because...why not?! Creme Brûlée is simple, but oh so decadent and delicious. I don't own a torch, so I appreciated that this recipe gave instructions for melting the sugar under the broiler. The original recipe came from the New York Times Cooking.

Creme Brûlée 

Creme Brûlée
serves 4

2 c. heavy Cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional

1/8 tsp. salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 c. sugar plus more for top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean (I scraped and added the beans to the liquid before also adding the split bean), and salt. Cook over low heat until just hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then remove vanilla bean. Add vanilla extract if desired. 

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into it, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish. Place pan in oven and carefully fill with boiling water halfway up up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until centers are barely set and slightly jiggly. Cool completely and refrigerate at least a couple of hours and up to a couple of days (perfect to make ahead!).

When ready to serve, completely cover the top of each custard with a thin layer of sugar. Place ramekins 2-3 inches under the broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes - watch carefully. Serve within 2 hours. 

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Oriental Trading Company sent me these products free in exchange for my honest review. This review and opinions of the products are all my own. 

Weekend Fare: Chocolate

We are concluding this week of recipes on chocolate with a day devoted entirely to some easy chocolate recipes that are perfect for entertaining, for ending a special meal, or just because. The lava cakes and creme brulee would make excellent Valentine's Day Desserts!

These double chocolate cookies are sure to please any chocolate lover. The beautiful texture and chocolatey goodness make it perfect for dipping in a glass of milk! When I want to make large cookies, I use my ice cream scoop and bake them for 12-13 minutes. Mmmm...



DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Print This Recipe1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 package (11-12 oz.) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and blend until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet or stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

The oozy, delicious center of molten lava cakes makes this a popular dessert. I love it paired with raspberries - a perfect combination! Honestly, these cakes are incredibly easy but yet, so impressive. Bake them right before serving. Fresh whipped cream, vanilla bean ice cream, and/or fresh or frozen fruit make excellent garnishes.



MOLTEN LAVA CAKE
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
Print This Recipe

1 c. butter
8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate (a nice quality of chocolate will give a better cake!), chopped
5 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
pinch of salt
4 tsp. flour
fresh or frozen raspberries, opt.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 8 ramekins and set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Beat eggs, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixtures into chocolate until smooth.  Beat in flour until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead and refrigerated - bring to room temperature before baking).

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Divide batter between ramekins. Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 9-12 minutes. Carefully loosen the sides of the cake and invert on a dessert plate. Serve with fresh or thawed raspberries if desired.

Although white chocolate isn't really chocolate, I wanted to make sure and include a recipe for something with white chocolate! This gluten free creme brulee is WONDERFUL! Seriously, go make it. It doesn't have a strong white chocolate flavor - just a hint and even my tasters who normally don't care for white chocolate loved this dessert! 

I desperately wished for a torch to make this dessert look prettier - the sugar just did not caramelize as well under the broiler. It did have that lovely crisp texture though which is so wonderful with the creamy custard. 

 WHITE CHOCOLATE CREME BRULEE
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
Print This Recipe

4 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
4 oz. quality white chocolate (I used Ghiradelli), chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. sugar.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg toiks with 1/3 c. sugar until smooth. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Temper the eggs by adding 2 Tb. of the white chocolate mixture  to the eggs. Whisk. Add the rest of the white chocolate and whisk to combine. Add vanilla.

Divide between 4 -6 ramekins. Place the ramekins in a 9x13 pan filled with 1 1/2 inches hot water. Bake for 45-55 minutes of until set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate the custards until chilled. Before serving, sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with 1 tsp. of suagr and place under the broiler or use a torch to carmalize the sugar. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Finally, I wanted to give you a quick and easy hot chocolate recipe. It's not the very rich, homemade hot chocolate I often think of but it was light and delicious with a hint of cinnamon. It was made with ingredients that I almost always have on hand. You could top it with whipped cream or shaved chocolate.



HOT CHOCOLATE
(adapted from Ellie Krieger)
Print This Recipe

1 c. milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. water
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat the milk and the cinnamon until just simmering. In a mug, combine the cocoa powder, sugar, and water and stir. Pour the milk into the mug and stir to mix well. Add the vanilla and stir. Makes 1 serving.