Give Boxed Brownies An Elevated Touch With This 5-Star Topping

Brownies are a deliciously decadent sweet treat, no matter how you prepare or serve them — from the fudgiest brownie recipe to a scoop of ice cream on the side. But if there is any mistaking brownies' place as a dessert for adults, try adding an unexpected topping: crème brûlée. Though brownies are often elevated with additional ingredients, adding this creamy, crunchy dessert on top sufficiently raises the bar on what can be relegated as a finger food dessert for picnics and boxed lunches. 

Adding a classic crème brûlée layer on top of your favorite brownies is as easy as making a simple custard. All you need to do is mix eggs, sugar, salt, and cornstarch while heating milk and cream on the stove. Once the milk and cream are simmering, use half the liquid to temper the eggs. Combine the tempered egg mixture with the rest of the liquid in the pot and whisk over low heat until the mixture thickens into a decadent custard. With the custard prepared, all you need to do is pour it over the cooked and cooled brownies and place the tray in the fridge to allow the custard to set on top.

When you're ready to serve the crème brûlée brownies, sprinkle a little sugar on top and torch them to create the crisp, cracking layer on top. Ultimately, you'll end up with a contrastingly crisp top on your brownies that you can snap into with a spoon.

While adding a crème brûlée layer to brownies is an excellent start for an elevated dessert, you can further upgrade them with additional ingredients. A classic brownie add-in is, of course, nuts. Whether you opt for walnuts or pecans, nuts mixed into the brownie base will help carry the crunch throughout the dessert. This will help break up the smoothness of the fudgy brownies and the custard without relying on the caramelized sugar top alone. 

Alternatively, you can hint at another classic dessert, bananas foster, by using Tasting Table's chocolate banana brownie recipe as the base. With a few classic spices, like cinnamon, that are used in bananas foster and brown sugar instead of white for the torched top, you can invoke the flavors of the dessert all in one bite of crème brûlée brownies. 

Finally, for those who can't get enough chocolate in their desserts, consider topping the brownies with chocolate crème brûlée. Ina Garten adds bittersweet chocolate, instant espresso, and coffee liqueur to the custard for a complex flavor and rich finish in her chocolate crème brûlée recipe.