Little French Kitchen's Semolina Creme Brulée Recipe

Photo: David Loftus

Semolina Crème Brûlée
Serves 4 

I love semolina pudding, but none of that hard, stodgy stuff. I prefer creamy, smooth semolina. There is something very comforting about savoring a little bowl of semolina, warm or cold, and at any time of the day for that matter. Here, I’ve decided to give it a little French makeover, studding it with juicy sweet prunes and giving it a golden, crisp crème brûlée-style topping. 

2 cups almond milk or whole milk
2 tbsp/35 g semolina
4 prunes, cut into very small pieces
4 to 6 tbsp/20 to 30 g sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the almond milk to a boil. Add the semolina, whisking for 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the prunes, then divide evenly between four ramekins. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Just before serving, sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each ramekin. Do this by holding the spoon at least 12 inches above the ramekin (sprinkling from a height is the best way to create an even layer). Place the ramekins on a metal tray.

For best results, use a handheld blowtorch. Holding it 4 to 5 inches away from the sugar, move the flame slowly around the sugar, maintaining a steady, even motion. Stop torching just before the desired degree of caramel is reached, as the sugar will continue to cook for a few seconds after the flame has been removed.

If you don’t have a blowtorch, take a large metal spoon and hold it in a gas flame until very hot (hold the handle with a tea towel or an oven mitt to protect your hand). Carefully place the spoon on top of the sugar and move it around so that the heat from the spoon caramelizes the sugar.

Serve immediately.

Excerpted from My Little French Kitchen: Over 100 Recipes from the Mountains, Market Squares, and Shores of France by Rachel Khoo (Chronicle Books, 2014).

More French recipes:
Beef Bourguignon
Chicken Liver Mousse
French Cooking Tricks That Will Simplify Dinner