Mill Street Haven Creme Brulee with Kathy McCarthy
Kathy McCarthy in her Mill Street Haven kitchen
About Kathy: It's a little hard to tell which is sweeter: Kathy or the goodies she bakes. Her road to Celebrity Chef fame began when, as a young girl, she won a Blue Ribbon for her chocolate chip cookies at the Green Lake County Fair. It was then that she and her mother started cooking together, whipping up confections like cream cheese mints, caramels, almond toffee and sponge candy at Christmas.
And she hasn't stopped since. In her first job, under the tutelage of Lucille Heidel, she worked as a line cook and hors d'oeuvre maker in the kitchens of the Heidel House, where Mrs. Heidel would "stroll the kitchen checking out the baked goods, schaum torte and sauces to ensure that the recipes were followed to a T."
From there, after graduating from Technical School, Kathy went on to work in the hospitality industry, and in 2001, fulfilled her dream of becoming a chocolatier by opening her first business: Kathy's Gourmet Chocolates. Her next confectionary business: the Sweet Spot at the Savory Spoon in Door County.
Two years ago. this entrepreneur-with-a-sweet-spot, opened Mill Street Haven, a unique combination vacation rental and cooking school at the edge of Green Lake's downtown. Guests, as well as non-guest groups, can book cooking classes where Kathy shares her tricks of the trade in making desserts as well as other entrees and sides.
Kathy is an energetic Town Square Community Center volunteer, pitching in at cooking classes and food-related events. She is a regular star attraction at the Market at Town Square, where you can meet her on select Fridays for a mini learning (and tasting) experience.
You’ll get to use those cute ramekins!
Creme Brulee: Warm from the oven.
MILL STREET HAVEN CREME BRULEE
From the kitchen of Kathy McCarthy
You will need:
1 Extra Large Egg
4 Extra Large Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup Sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for Each Serving
3 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
Making the Dish:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined.
Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but nor boiled.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Pour the custard mixture into the ramekins until they're almost full.
Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and carefully pour hottest tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for 35 o 40 minutes, until the custards are just set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until cold.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.