I haven't always been a fan of the humble creme brulee. I preferred fancier desserts like cheese cakes and fruit pies, ice cream and jelly, or anything with chocolate.
Wasn't creme brulee a boring, old fashioned relic of the more tasteless French tradition? My friend Jenny proved me wrong. She had been a convert for a long time, since she tasted a divine version of perfectly browned creme brulee in a restaurant. She had waxed lyrical about this experience since, and I was frankly getting tired of listening to the hype.
You have to understand that me and Jenny are dessert experts. Or at least dessert lovers. We love desserts, and I do not think any of us has yet tasted a dessert we did not like, or at least appreciate. So she set out to prove to me the worth of her new favorite. There was only one problem, in spite of her many attempts she never was able to achieve the perfect crispy brown sugar crust on her dessert. I think she was waiting to perfect this before she invited me to taste. Perhaps she was ashamed of her less than amazing efforts, or she wanted my first taste of her home made concoction to be one hundred percent authentic. So when she finally invited me over for a taste, I was excited. I took a bite, and I have to admit, it was great. The clean taste of cream, the lovely rich consistency, and on top: a crispy, delicate lid on brown sugar. I praised it effusively. It wasn't until later that she admitted her secret. She had gone and bought a creme brulee torch.
Knowing that I would mock that purchase, she had waited until I was convinced by the result. And you know what? I was. Now I have a creme brulee torch in my kitchen cabinet too.