Full question
Can Nigella's creme brulee be successfully frozen and, if so, should it be frozen before or after the sugar is caramelized?
Our answer
Nigella's Creme Brulee (from NIGELLA BITES is made with double cream and egg yolks. Nigella's version cooks the custard in a saucepan and then transfers this to a large serving dish, rather than baking the custard in the oven.
It is possible to freeze creme brulee if double cream is used, plus plenty of egg yolks. However, we prefer to not recommend freezing Nigella's creme brulee as texture is very important for this dish and the texture of custard can change slightly following freezing and thawing. There is also a small risk that the custard splits slightly on thawing, leaving a watery layer. There are some frozen creme brulees for sale but these commercial creme bruless tend to have stablilisers and thickeners added, to prevent the custard from splitting. However, you could make the custard part of the creme brulee up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated until needed.
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