crèmmmmmmme brûlée

crème brûlée has recently become one of my top favorites. while burnt cream may not sound appetizing, this custard based caramelly vanilla-ey dessert is one of the more decadent items on most fancy places' menus. first, you can't deny that having your very own ramekin filled with this deliciousness beats a piece of chocolate cake on a boring old plate that anyone can just reach a fork over and steal a bite from. The ramekin protects you and your dessert from scavenging dining parners. And believe me, protecting that sweet shell is what you want to do. Second to actually tasting crème brûlée is getting to smash through that sugary outside for its sweet inside. now that you know this information about my latest weakness, imagine my delight when Derek was given his very own mini blow torch, set of eight ramekins, and crème brûlée starter kit for christmas. his creation was just about the best thing i've ever tasted, until...
...not only does derek make a mean crème brûlée (and basically any other recipe you put in front of him), he works at ben & jerry's as a consultant. most vermonters and fans of ben & jerry's (of which i am both) know that when you are an employee at b&j's, you get to take home 3 free pints of ice cream a day. in addition, not only do you get a free gym and weight watchers membership, but you get to taste the "trial" flavors as well! i'm not sure if i should be spilling this top secret information, but i can't imagine that anyone other than my friends and family are reading this blog, so i'm gonna spill it: the other night D. brought home a pint of b&j's not yet released, not yet perfected, CREME BRULEE ice cream. just about the most amazing thing i've ever tasted in my entire life. it's that good. can't wait for it to be out on the freezer shelves. i wonder how many points a whole pint is worth...