Balsamic-Blackberry Crème Brûlée

Preparation Put the blackberries and sprinkle with the vinegar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the berries for garnish. Divide the remaining berries among six standard-size flan dishes. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream and divide the mixture among the dishes. Drizzle with the honey. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown or turbinado sugar over each custard. Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar (see note below). Garnish the top of the caramelized sugar with the reserved blackberries. Oven-Dried Brown Sugar:Due to the moisture content of brown sugar, it recommended to dry it before caramelizing. Spread light or dark brown sugar out on a baking sheet in a 1/8-inch layer and bake in a preheated 275°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned a shade darker. Let cool, place in a small resealable plastic bag, and crush it thoroughly with a rolling pin or flat metal mallet to make fine crystals. Brown sugar treated in this manner has an excellent flavor when caramelized. From Crème Brûlée by Lou Seibert Pappas. Text copyright © 2005 by Lou Seibert Pappas; photographs copyright © 2005 by Alison Miksch. The Chronicle Books LLC edition published in 2009. Reprinted with permission by Chronicle Books.

Preparation Put the blackberries and sprinkle with the vinegar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the berries for garnish. Divide the remaining berries among six standard-size flan dishes. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and sour cream and divide the mixture among the dishes. Drizzle with the honey. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to serve, place the dishes on a baking sheet and evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown or turbinado sugar over each custard. Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar (see note below). Garnish the top of the caramelized sugar with the reserved blackberries. Oven-Dried Brown Sugar:Due to the moisture content of brown sugar, it recommended to dry it before caramelizing. Spread light or dark brown sugar out on a baking sheet in a 1/8-inch layer and bake in a preheated 275°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned a shade darker. Let cool, place in a small resealable plastic bag, and crush it thoroughly with a rolling pin or flat metal mallet to make fine crystals. Brown sugar treated in this manner has an excellent flavor when caramelized. From Crème Brûlée by Lou Seibert Pappas. Text copyright © 2005 by Lou Seibert Pappas; photographs copyright © 2005 by Alison Miksch. The Chronicle Books LLC edition published in 2009. Reprinted with permission by Chronicle Books.