Creme Brûlée Crêpes Are The Magical Dessert Hybrid To Look Out For
Crème brûlée is a dessert of mysterious origins, but one thing can be held true: It's a tasty tradition that's been around for quite some time. According to Colin Spencer, author of "British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History," the first reference to a similar dessert appeared in 15th-century England when milk produced from cows would be made into a cream that was then "topped with sugar that's been burnt with a hot iron" (via Saveur). Later on, its first recipe showed up in the 1691 edition of the French cookbook "Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois" by Francois Massialot.
Even how it became popular in America is up for debate — was it thanks to Thomas Jefferson, who served this crispy creamy treat at the White House during his presidency? Or was it because of Julia Child's ideas on French cuisine (via Deseret News) and her influence when she accidentally created the modern cooking show? However, one thing that could be agreed upon is that crème brûlée can make you feel fancy. You may prefer to eat it on a white table cloth, and if you're at home à la Julia Child, you may want to use nice china.
But recent TikToks from London-based users and an Instagram reel from @onehungrymedic have challenged that notion (via Instagram). Why can't crème brûlée be eaten as street food? These videos show an ingenious way to make this elevated dessert a bit more handy — literally, by serving it in a crêpe cone.
Crack into the new and improved crème brûlée crêpe cone
Weirdly satisfying shots of these too-good-to-be-true beauties being cracked into are all over social media, specifically from a London bakery called Boolay Crêpes located in Covent Garden (via Instagram). However, they're not the only place to find these unusual treats. If you're lucky enough to live in the Los Angeles area, make your way to Millet Crêpe, where they have gained attention for their unique spin on this sweet combo. The video from Millet Crêpe shows how this unfathomable delight is made, per Bake.
In the video from Millet Crêpe, they prepare a crêpe in the traditional French fashion by spreading the eggy batter on a hot extra-wide griddle in a smooth circular motion using a wooden tool. Then, the crêpe is folded in half with the first layer of goodies spread on top; in the example shown, that's a drizzle of crème anglaise, ripe fresh strawberries, and a stripe of corn flakes for a little crunch. The crêpe is rolled into an open ice cream cone shape, while rich vanilla custard is piped into the center, leveled off, topped with sugar, and lit aflame for that perfect crème brûlée crunch to be broken into.
For those who want to see it in action, why not crack your own with a super easy 3-ingredient crème brûlée recipe? Fancy dishes are optional.