French Turbulence: Lime pots de creme

Easter meals are usually rich and fancy. At least in my house. Therefore, it makes sense for the last course, dessert, to be on the light side. Pots de creme are certainly not light but citrus would make you believe they are! Citrus renders any dessert light and refreshing.
I tried two versions of this recipe: pots de creme and cremes brulees, the latter being my favorite. I do not own a blow torch, but it is possible to make creme brulee with only a broiler.
This week I've also started using dairy products from Ronnybrook Dairy Farm in my attempt to support local producers. I am so excited that Ronnybrook is now a fixture at my local farmers market and I can easily get my fill of fresh butter, milk, cream, and yogurt. I love their ice creams too but I believe I can make something just as good myself by using their milk and cream, and my little electric mixer. We'll talk more about this later...

Lime Petits Pots de Creme: (Petits Pots de Creme au Citron Vert)

1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 large egg yolks
zest and juice from one lime

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and place a rack in the middle of your oven.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl.
In a heavy sauce pan, bring the heavy cream and zest to a simmer on medium high heat. Remove from the heat and let the zest steep a few more minutes.
Temper the egg yolks by pouring only a small quantity of warm cream, whisking vigorously. Pour in the rest of cream. Whisk in the lime juice before filling 4 to 6 ramekins (depending on the size of your ramekins).
Place the ramekins in a water bath. The water should reach halfway to each dish side.
Bake for 30 minutes, then let cool completely. Refrigerate a few hours before serving as pots de creme.

If you opt for the creme brulee option, and you do not have a blow torch, here is your game plan:
Right before serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of granulated sugar on top of each dish. Place on the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes. Keep a close eye on the dishes as you do not want the caramel to burn. First a caramel rim will form, then brown spots will appear before you get a full caramel surface. You may need to turn each dish slightly to get an even browning and avoid burning.
Let the ramekins cool 2 minutes and serve.
You cannot "brulee" your cremes in advance or the caramel texture will change.
If opting for the creme brulee option, you may want to replace the 1/2 granulated sugar in the initial recipe to 1/4 cup honey to keep this dessert light and not overly sugary.