Lemon & Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Fresh Mango Topping

Ingredients

• Filling
• 1 cup light cream
• 11/2 cups low-fat milk
• Seeds of 2 vanilla beans or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• Brûlée topping
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 ounces prepared mango chunks, or 1 small mango, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Set six 1/2-cup ramekins inside a deep-sided roasting pan and put it aside. These ramekins are deep, 1 3/4 inches, rather than wide and shallow; if yours are the shallow kind, they will bake more quickly. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. In a small pan over medium heat, warm the cream, milk, and vanilla seeds and bean, or the extract, just until the mixture begins to steam.
2. While that warms, combine the eggs, sugar, cornmeal, and lemon zest in a large bowl, stirring until everything is well blended.
3. When the milk mixture is steaming, whisk a small splash into the eggs to loosen and temper them. Slowly pour in the rest of the milk mixture, stirring constantly as you go. Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, then add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to reach a third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. The water bath helps keep the heat gentle, which is what keeps the eggs from curdling instead of turning into a smooth custard.
4. Move the pan carefully to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the custards are nearly set but still quiver a bit in the middle. That little wobble matters; if they bake past that point, the texture can turn grainy, though the flavor will still be fine.
5. When the custards are at that stage, take the pan out of the oven and carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath. Let them cool completely. Once cooled, place them on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour, or until you need them. You can also make them up to this point and keep them in the refrigerator for several hours.
6. When the crème brûlées are thoroughly cold, divide the tablespoon of sugar evenly over the tops, spreading it into a thin, even layer. Caramelize the sugar with a blowtorch, moving the flame back and forth until the tops are a deep golden brown. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mango chunks into the center of each custard, then serve.