Raspberry Crème Brûlée

Whenever I’m lucky enough to go out for a meal with friends someone invariably orders creme brûlée. It seems to be one of the most popular desserts around, maybe because it seems a little tricky to make at home. In fact it’s incredibly simple – a slightly set custard underneath a caramelised sugar layer. A traditional crème brûlée is made with eggs and milk, so clearly I had my work cut out to recreate this without them. This recipe is a cornflour thickened dairy-free milk custard, scented with vanilla, which makes the perfect substitute. And I think the layer of raspberries adds a delightful and welcome tartness to the creamy top. The caramelised top looks tricky but it’s as simple as can be – a fine, even layer of sugar is sprinkled with a few drops of water and then caramelised either with a cook’s blow torch (preferable) or under a hot grill. If using a grill you must, must, must keep a close eye on it, you don’t want totally burnt sugar!

Raspberry Crème Brûlée (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, can be soya-free, can be gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan) serves 4

250ml dairy-free cream, I used Oat cream

3 tbsps caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1- 1 1/2 tbsps cornflour mixed with 1 1/2 tbps oat milk

1-2 tbsps granulated sugar

20 raspberries

• Mix the cornflour and oat milk together to form a smooth liquid, set aside.
• Heat the oat cream with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the vanilla.
• Next, stir in the cornflour mix and whisk until the cream has thickened to thick yogurt consistency.
• Place 5 raspberries into each ramekin, then pour over the creamy mixture and place in the fridge to firm up.

• Once set, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar over the top.

• Caramelise with a blow torch or under the grill. Eat within an hour to make sure the caramel remains crispy.