Creme Brulee Bars

One of my former co-workers had a neighbor who brought creme brulee bars to every dinner party or event. They were amazing, and when I was thinking about what desserts to make for the dessert wine party, I thought creme brulee bars could be perfect.

I used this recipe. Start by mixing flour, sugar and softened butter.

Press the mixture into a baking dish (or pan) that hasn't been greased and pop in the oven for 20 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, stir together five egg yolks (I could write a whole entry about my trials and tribulations of separating yolks, but I won't) and a 1/4 cup of sugar.

When thick, add heavy cream and brandy. Doesn't brandy smell divine, by the way?

It should look basically like eggnog, but don't get distracted! Carry forward.

Pour the mixture over your now-set butter/flour crust.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Take out and allow to cool for an hour.

Once cooled, slice into bars. Be careful! These babies are very delicate.

Put a 1/3 cup of sugar into a pot and allow to melt on medium heat. Guess what? You just made caramel! Who knew it was so easy?

Glassy-looking caramel.

Quickly drizzle the caramel over the bars. It will harden fast, mimicking the hard shell over the soft custard that makes creme brulee so great.

The bars tasted great, but I will say the yellow color intensified and kinda freaked me out. They are also VERY sweet, so I'd imagine they won't all get consumed in my house because they are just so rich. The flavor combo is right-on though; could be great for any Francophile birthday party.