Vanilla Heart Dine-A-Round Celebration

Just in time for the holidays – books and food! What more could you want? Vanilla Heart Publishing authors have planned a scrumptious menu for an elegant dinner party. The recipes for this Dine-A-Round Celebration Sale are inspired by VHP titles, so I chose something essentially French since Conquering Venus is set in Paris.

While I was in the City of Light over the summer, I stopped by rue Rampon and asked Irène Laureux to share her crème brulée recipe. She was busily editing a manuscript and chain-smoking Gauloises, but she rummaged through a notebook in the kitchen and found a faded piece of paper with the following recipe. As part of this fun event, you can buy the ebook version of Conquering Venus – as well as titles by fellow VHP authors – for just $3.99! See all the books at this link.

Ingredients
6 egg yolks
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (or 150 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
• Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
• Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Irène said this recipe will serve five – or one if you're a "cochon." Ahem! While you're letting your crème brulée set, check out the recipes from the other VHP authors – and buy their books!

An Elegant Dinner Party

http://bit.ly/gklZbA   A complete menu from To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon

Main Dish recipes

http://tiny.cc/6ocas   Tranoc’s Lecho from Forest Song: Letting Go by Vila Spiderhawk

http://bit.ly/g2ZWY3 OR  http://bit.ly/dXQoTn Crispy Cobb Salad from No Easy Way by SR Claridge

http://bit.ly/hy7s5E  Chicken Pot Pie from Within the Law by Chelle Cordero

http://bit.ly/f6XQKH   Pot Roast from Appalachian Justice by Melinda Clayton

http://bit.ly/dgk2mD  Purple Platter Meatloaf from Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire by Malcolm Campbell

Dessert

http://bit.ly/glJHHT  Pecan Pie from Sabbath's House by Marilyn Celeste Morris

http://bit.ly/eoNgaF  Poppy Seed Cake from Opal Fire Barbra Annino

http://bit.ly/dMNNTS  Gingerbread from Frank, Incense And Muriel by Anne K. Albert

http://bit.ly/i2bI0m  Creme Brulee from Conquering Venus by Collin Kelley

Beverage

http://bit.ly/gBBw4K  Russian Czar Drink from Bartlett’s Rule by Chelle Cordero