Baking help: Creme Brulee/baked custards

[danaeris]

Right.

So, I'm trying to make creme brulee, using this recipe.

I followed the directions, put it in for 50 minutes... still totally liquid. Another 30 minutes, I think it is still totally liquid. I'm at a bit of a loss.

Things I might have done wrong:
(1) I doubled the recipe. I know that with cakes and so forth, you often can't get away with doing that. Is the same true of Creme Brulee/custards?
(2) I noticed that this recipe calls for a lot more eggs than most recipes do. Maybe there's something wrong with the recipe?
(3) When I put it in the water bath, it is possible that I accidentally got some water in the custards. Could that prevent them from setting? I don't think I got water in all of them, but I suppose its possible.
(4) The other recipes I'm seeing don't call for covering the pan in aluminum foil. Could that be the problem?
(5) One other recipe I saw said to use boiling, rather than warm water for the water bath. That could be my mistake, except that its the only creme brulee recipe I've seen that has that step.

I've put the rest of the 'batter' in the fridge because in another half hour I'm going to check on these ones and if they aren't done, I'm going to give up on them and go to sleep. Bah! Bah I say!

Comments

[metalana.livejournal.com]

I have never dared make custard - because my mom taught me that it's prone to failure. So I don't recognize the problem or know the solution. If you have time, read the Joy of Cooking to see if it advises a rescue. Good luck!

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Boiling water wouldn't have hurt and might have helped. The only thing that I can think of that would make a custard not set is that there weren't *enough* eggs. If you have too many, it just sets firmer. Water shouldn't prevent setting; it should just sit on top, or make an unset pocket in there someplace. The tenting with foil won't prevent setting, just prevent the top from getting dry. It MAY cause a layer of condensation on the top of the custards, so it's worth looking very closely at just how deep the "not set" goes. It may have liquid water on top of set custard. If that's the case, then you can chill the custards normally, and pour the water off in a couple hours.

[lastmx.livejournal.com]

It's been a while since I made custard, but cheat a bit and add some cornstarch if you need to. Adding another egg *might* help. I'll give the recipe a shot when I get back from Thailand.