Pick up the blowtorch for these fiery desserts

By Annika Bereny

When most people think of desserts, a cool and refreshing ice cream comes to mind, or maybe a sugary confectionery and baked good. But…fire? These four dishes are saccharine but smoky at the same time, candied and charred, treacly and torched.

Crème brûlée

A daunting yet classic dish, crème brûlée is characterized by the golden sugar crust to crack through before reaching its sweet vanilla custard. Made with egg yolks, one of the scariest bits of this recipe is tempering the eggs, which involves pouring a warm vanilla cream into the yolks a little at a time to avoid cooking the eggs. Another notoriously finicky step is making sure the custard sets properly. After baking for 40-50 minutes (be sure to fill your pan with water so that it cooks the liquid in the ramekins), the crème should be just barely set, wobbly but not liquid. Place the ramekins into the refrigerator, and don’t touch them for at least two hours to make sure they’re properly set. Once they are fully set, it’s time for the signature brûlée. And, if you’re cooking this at home, don’t fret — a blowtorch is not necessary. Simply broil the sugar on high for 5-10 minutes, then place the ramekins back into the refrigerator to set once again and serve chilled.

Wisconsin spots: Joey Gerard’s in Milwaukee and Eno Vino in Madison.
Make it yourself: No blowtorch? No problem! Use this recipe from The Kitchn to craft an oven-broiled crème brûlée at home.

Baked Alaska

This dish isn’t typically prepared at home unless you’re a seasoned chef. Baked Alaska is a dessert that is all about the presentation. Traditionally, a layer of cake lies at the bottom, followed by layers of ice cream that are all smothered with a layer of meringue. The meringue is typically browned, either by oven, blowtorch or, for restaurants wishing to wow their customers, set on fire and flambéed tableside. It’s a tricky feat to pull off at home — the dish needs to spend hours in the freezer before you can continue to work on each layer, but baked Alaska is truly a show-stopping dessert.

Wisconsin spots: Sebastian’s in Racine and Pastiche in Brown Deer.
Make it yourself: Take a page out of the New York Times by using NYT Cooking’s recipe to make baked Alaska at home.

S’mores

The easiest dish on this list, s’mores can be made over a fire or in the comfort of your own home in a microwave. Using a pack of fluffy jumbo marshmallows that get gooey when roasted, some quality smooth milk chocolate and a pack of crisp graham crackers, s’mores come together in mere minutes. The most controversial aspect of the dessert, however, is the doneness of the marshmallows. Some prefer a marshmallow to be slightly toasted, warmed just enough to melt the chocolate. Others enjoy lighting it on fire and creating a crispy burnt crust on their marshmallow. But a happy medium, and the hallmark of a refined s’mores maker, is the ability to roast the marshmallow to a golden brown that will ooze when you slide it off of the skewer and place it onto the chocolate.

Madison spots: Camp Trippalindee in Madison and Murf’s Frozen Custard in Brookfield.
Make it yourself: Use this trusty recipe from the Food Network, or buy a pack of marshmallows, some chocolate and a box of graham crackers and reserve a fire pit on UW–Madison’s Picnic Point.

Grilled peaches

Though this dish never directly touches fire, it benefits from the burning embers down in the grill, which give it heat, softness and those beautiful grill marks. You can also achieve this in a frying pan. Either way, be sure to brush the cut side of the peach halves with a bit of oil and a sprinkle of brown sugar before placing them face down on the pan or grill. Cook until they’re slightly charred but not burnt. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer dessert or as a winter pick me up when it gets too chilly in Madison.

Madison spots: Pogreba in La Crosse and Songbird Fruit at various fairs across the state.
Make it yourself: Grilled peaches will likely be easier — and cheaper — to make at home than to order at a restaurant. Try Love and Lemons’ six-ingredient recipe for the perfect summer dessert.