Elderflower Crème Brûlée with Gooseberry Compote by The White Hart at Fyfield
This Elderflower Crème Brûlée with Gooseberry Compote by The White Hart at Fyfield is amazing when made in elderflower season using homemade elderflower cordial, but can be made all year round from good quality store bought cordial too. If you’re feeling adventurous, try making the doughnuts to serve with the brûlée and compote.
15 minutes, plus 2 hours proving
40 Mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the cream cheese frosting- 125g salted butter
- 800g full fat cream cheese
- 125g icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 400ml double cream
- 35g caster sugar, plus a little extra to brûlée
- 120ml elderflower cordial
- 6 egg yolks
- 400g gooseberries
- 6 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
- 210ml tepid milk
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g caster sugar
- 10g fresh yeast (or 5g dried)
- 300g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Method
For the crème brûlée
Preheat the oven to 150°c. Place the cream, sugar and cordial in a pan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Briefly beat the egg yolks in a bowl, then pour in the cream mixture while still beating. Pass through a sieve into a jug. Pour the mixture into ramekins (approx. 70ml in each) and place in a deep roasting tin. Fill the roasting tin with boiling water halfway up the ramekins. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just set. Remove from the oven and let the ramekins stand in the water for 10 minutes, then take them out and leave to cool.
For the gooseberry compote
Place the gooseberries, sugar and elderflower cordial in a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 minutes, just until the gooseberries start to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
For the doughnuts (optional)
Combine the milk, butter, eggs and 40g of the sugar. Place the yeast in a small bowl, then add a little of the milk mixture to form a smooth paste. Add this paste to the remaining milk mixture and whisk to combine. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Gradually pour in the milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and place the dough in a warm spot to prove for approximately 1 hour or until doubled in size. Take the dough out and knock it back to remove the air, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge until cold. Roll the cold dough into 15g balls and place them on greaseproof paper squares to prove for a final 30 minutes.
Place a large saucepan, one third filled with vegetable oil, over a medium heat until the oil reaches 170°c. Place the dough balls in the oil and cook for about 4 minutes, turning often, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels. Once cooled slightly, roll the doughnuts in the remaining caster sugar.
To serve
Sprinkle a little caster sugar over the brûlée then heat with a blowtorch (or place under a hot grill) until the sugar bubbles and forms a caramel. Arrange the compote and the doughnuts artistically on the plate and we serve ours with raspberry ripple ice cream and fresh raspberries. Enjoy!
