6 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup good-quality Kentucky bourbon
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups heavy cream
6 baked Puff Pastry shells
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in the top half of a double boiler over simmering
water. Whisk for 10 minutes or until lemon-colored and the consistency of mousse. Remove
from heat, pour into a bowl, and set aside.
Place cream and vanilla bean in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a strong
boil and remove from heat. Strain and slowly pour into egg mixture, whipping rapidly as
you pour.
Return mixture to top half of double boiler, and double boiler to heat, and cook
mixture over simmering water for about 10 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat.
Stir occasionally while mixture cools until it reaches the consistency of a very thick
custard. Stir in bourbon.
Preheat broiler.
Spread a single layer of pecans over the bottom of each of 6 Puff Pastry shells. Pour
cooled cream over the pecans to top of shell. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When well
chilled, sprinkle top with sugar and place under broiler for two minutes or until golden
brown. Coat each of six serving plates with Milk Chocolate Sauce and set a Creme Brulee in
the center of each. Serve immediately.
Puff Pastry
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ice water, approximately
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup unsalted butter
Combine flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons butter. Cut butter into flour using a pastry
cutter or food processor.
Combine water and lemon juice. Add to flour, mixing to form a pliable dough. Knead by
hand for 2 to 3 minutes or process in a food processor until dough forms a ball.
Roll dough on a lightly floured, chilled surface, preferably a marble slab. Surface
must be chilled. Roll dough to an 8-X-12 inch rectangle. Place pastry with short side
facing you. Remaining butter should be cool but malleable. Place butter in center of
rectangle and fold the near third of pastry toward the center. Repeat with the far third
of pastry to form three layers. Press edges of pastry lightly with a rolling pin to seal.
Give pastry a quarter turn and roll again into a rectangle; fold and seal as before. Be
careful that butter does not break through during rolling. If it does, immediately dust
lightly with flour and roll again. Wrap and chill at least 15 minutes.
Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling five more times, chilling 30 minutes each time.
Chill 1 hour after final rolling.
Preheat oven to 350°.
When pastry is well chilled, roll out as thin as possible on a lightly floured, chilled
surface. To make shells, cut out six 6-inch rounds. Line the ungreased cups of a
Texas-size (3 1/2-X-1 1/2-inch) muffin pan with the rounds, pressing pastry evenly into
cups and trimming edges. Line each cup with a small coffee filter or parchment paper and
fill to the top with dried beans (or commercial pastry weights).
Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden. Remove beans (or
weights) and filters (or paper) and allow shells to cool to room temperature.
Milk Chocolate Sauce
1 cup milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 teaspoons heavy cream
9 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
Combine milk, cream, sugar, and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring
occasionally. Bring to a boil. When boiling, pour over chopped chocolate and stir until
chocolate is melted and a smooth sauce is formed. Cool.
