Delia Smith Summer Fruit Brulee

Delia Smith’s summer fruit brûlée is soft berries warmed with caster sugar, topped with whipped cream and Greek yoghurt, then finished with caramelised demerara. It serves 6 and takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work from her Complete How to Cook.

This isn’t a crème brûlée. Delia swaps the custard for cream and yoghurt, so the fruit stays the focus. In Complete How to Cook, she says the sharp yoghurt cuts through the sweet sugar top.

The demerara layer is where most people go wrong. Delia sprays the sugar with water from a plant mister before using a blowtorch, because dry sugar scorches in patches. That fine mist lets the crystals melt into an even, glassy sheet that cracks cleanly.

Delia Smith Summer Fruit Brulee

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

425

kcal

Total time

25

minutes

From Delia’s Complete How to Cook. A blowtorch dessert that puts summer berries under a cream-yoghurt blanket and shatters with caramelised demerara. No custard, no baking, no oven needed.

Ingredients

• 700g (1 lb 8 oz) mixed soft fruits: raspberries, redcurrants, loganberries, blackberries, blackcurrants

• 110g (4 oz) caster sugar

• For the topping:

• 284ml (10 fl oz) whipping cream

• 284ml (10 fl oz) Greek yoghurt

• 175g (6 oz) demerara sugar

• Equipment

• Shallow ovenproof dish, 25.5 x 16 x 5cm (10 x 6½ x 2 inches)

• Blowtorch

• Water spray mister

Directions

• Place the fruits and caster sugar in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves and the juices begin to run. Do not overcook or the fruit will lose its shape.
• Tip the fruit into the ovenproof dish and spread it out evenly. Leave to cool completely.
• Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the Greek yoghurt.
• Spread the cream and yoghurt mixture over the cooled fruit, making sure it goes right to the edges of the dish.
• Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to serve, sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the surface. Give the sugar a light spray of water from a mister.
• Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar. Hold the flame about 5cm from the surface and move it slowly until the sugar melts into an even, golden crust. This takes about 10 minutes.
• Return to the fridge for 15-30 minutes to let the caramel set firm before serving.

FAQs

Why does Delia use a blowtorch instead of the grill?

A grill heats from above and warms the cream layer underneath, which can make it thin and runny before the sugar caramelises. Delia’s blowtorch targets only the surface. The cream stays cold and thick while the sugar melts on top.

Her Fast Fruit Brûlée in How to Cheat at Cooking does use a grill. But that version skips the cream and uses yoghurt alone, which holds its shape better under heat. For this richer version with whipped cream folded in, the blowtorch is the safer method. Delia’s asparagus with nearly hollandaise shows the same instinct for protecting a delicate layer from direct heat.

Why does Delia spray the sugar with water before caramelising?

Dry demerara crystals are coarse and uneven. When you hit them with a blowtorch, the thin spots burn while the thick spots stay raw. Spraying water dissolves the surface of each crystal just enough to help them melt together into a continuous sheet.

You only need a fine mist, not a soaking. Two or three sprays from a plant mister is enough. Delia specifies this step because without it, you get patches of burnt sugar next to patches of still-crunchy crystals. The goal is one even, glassy layer that cracks when you tap it with a spoon.

Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh?

Frozen berries work, but they release more liquid than fresh. Thaw them fully in a colander first and let the excess juice drain off. If you skip this, the extra water pools under the cream layer and makes the base soupy.

You can also skip the heating step with frozen fruit, since freezing already breaks down the cell walls and releases juice. Toss the thawed, drained berries with the caster sugar and spoon them straight into the dish. The texture won’t be quite as bright as fresh summer fruit, but in winter it’s a fair trade. Delia’s strawberry cheesecake ice cream handles the fresh-versus-frozen question the same way, adjusting liquid to compensate.

What can I use instead of a blowtorch?

A very hot grill works if you watch it closely. Preheat the grill to its highest setting, place the dish on the top shelf, and watch constantly. The sugar should caramelise in 3-4 minutes. The cream will soften underneath, so serve quickly.

Another option is making a separate caramel disc. Melt the demerara sugar in a dry frying pan until liquid, then pour it onto greaseproof paper. Once set, break it into shards and lay them over the cream just before serving. You lose the even crust but get the same crunch and toffee flavour without any specialist equipment.

How far ahead can I prepare this?

The fruit base and cream layer can sit assembled in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you caramelise. Delia says a minimum of 2 hours chilling, but overnight is fine. The cream firms up and the fruit juices settle, which actually makes the layers cleaner.

Caramelise the sugar no more than 30 minutes before serving. After that, the moisture from the cream starts dissolving the sugar from below and the crust goes soft. That crackable top is the whole point of a brûlée, so time it right. Delia’s vanilla ice cream from the Summer Collection pairs well alongside this if you want a cold contrast to the warm caramel.

Can I make individual portions instead of one large dish?

Yes, and they look sharper for a dinner party. Use six ramekins or small gratin dishes. Divide the fruit evenly, then spoon the cream mixture on top. The caramelising is actually easier in ramekins because each one takes less than a minute with the blowtorch.

The only adjustment is the chilling time. Smaller dishes cool faster, so 1 hour in the fridge is enough before adding the sugar. Delia uses the large oblong dish because it’s faster for a family meal. But individual pots give each person their own unbroken sugar crust to crack. That first tap of the spoon is half the pleasure of a brûlée.