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1
Prepare the praline: have 1/3 cup of the skinned hazelnuts ready and make sure your hands and forearms are protected by long sleeves and oven mitts or a kitchen towel wrapped securely around them.
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2
Put a small bowl of ice water on the stove in case of splattering caramel and butter a large, not non-stick, baking sheet with 1-inch sides and set nearby.
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3
Combine the granulated sugar and just enough water to moisten it in a heavy-bottomed, 2-quart saucepan.
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4
Stir the mixture over medium-low heat until the sugar melts, then increase the heat to medium-high.
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5
Boil the syrup, watching closely, as it begins turning a medium amber colour.
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6
When the syrup is a dark gold, immediately slide in the nuts and remove the pot from the heat.
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7
The addition of the hazelnuts will produce quite a commotion in the pot, and the caramel will splatter and spit as it is forced to quickly drop in temperature.
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8
Stand back and wait for the action to subside.
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9
Stir the nuts once or twice to coat them well, then pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it quickly before it sets too much.
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10
Cool on the sheet in a cool, dry place, but not the refrigerator, as this will make the praline tacky and sticky.
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11
When it is totally cool, carefully break it into shards, taking care not to cut your handsthis candy is as sharp as glass!
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12
Place several shards into the dry bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the praline is reduced to a relatively fine powder.
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13
Repeat with additional shards until you have about 3/4 cup ground praline.
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14
Remove any obvious or large lumps of hazelnutsthese could cause the topping to scorch.
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15
Transfer the powder to an airtight container and store at room temperature in a cool, dry place until needed, up to 1 week if its not too humid.
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16
The remainder of the praline can be stored the same way and used whole to garnish ice creams, custards, cakes and other desserts, or ground and sprinkled on sundaes, cakes, etc.
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17
Prepare the custard: place the 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts in the clean bowl of a food processor.
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18
Add the sifted confectioners sugar and pulse until the mixture forms a smooth paste, but is not too oily, and set aside.
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19
Fill a large pot with an inch or two of water and bring the water to a gentle simmer.
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20
Have ready a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.
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21
Pour the cream into a 2-quart saucepan with a heavy bottom.
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22
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add the seeds and the hull to the pot.
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23
Bring the cream just to the boil over medium heat, watching closely so it doesnt boil over.
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24
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks lightly in a large non-reactive bowl and pour in the granulated sugar, whisking constantly.
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25
Place the bowl over the pot with the barely simmering water and whisk the sugar and yolks until they have thickened and paled, about as long as it will take the cream to scald.
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26
Remove the cream from the heat as soon as it boils and add a small amount to the yolk mixture, whisking all the while.
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27
Add the cream in increasing amounts, whisking well after each addition.
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28
When all of the cream has been incorporated, stir the custard with a wooden spoon over the barely simmering water until it thickly coats the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes.
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29
Strain the custard into the clean bowl and add the pieces of butter, a few at a time, stirring until they melt.
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30
Stir in the hazelnut paste, whisking gently until it is fully blended, then stir in the Frangelico.
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31
Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard and poke a few holes in the plastic with a paring knife to allow the steam to escape.
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32
Cool the custard to room temperature, then pour it into eight 6-ounce ( 3/4-cup) ramekins or heat-proof custard cups and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
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33
I like to use wider, shallower dishes for creme brulee, so every mouthful of silky cool custard gets a bit of the crackly caramel crust.
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34
To serve, spoon a layer of the praline powder onto the surface of each custard and smooth it with the back of the spoon so it evenly covers the whole area.
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35
Using a hand-held blowtorch, or a very hot preheated broiler, caramelize the praline topping until it is a dark amber and completely melted, but not burnt.
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36
A blowtorch makes easy work of this and other flash-caramelizing tasks, and a perfectly good one is well worth the few dollars it costs.
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37
If you are using the broiler of your oven, make sure it is very hot-many home broilers are not sufficiently hot and will end up curdling the custard before caramelizing the top.
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38
Serve the brulee immediately; a little glass of Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur is a perfect accompaniment.
