Creme Brulee

Shatteringly crisp caramelized sugar atop a cool, impossibly smooth vanilla custard. A French bistro classic that feels indulgent yet effortless.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp extract)
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 tbsp superfine sugar, for topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place six 6-oz ramekins in a deep baking pan.
2. Heat heavy cream with the vanilla bean pod and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk egg yolks with the 1/2 cup sugar and salt until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour the warm cream through a fine-mesh strainer into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper without scrambling the eggs.
4. Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custards are set around the edges but still jiggle slightly in the center when gently shaken.
6. Carefully remove ramekins from the water bath. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar evenly over each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it forms a deep amber, crackly shell. Let sit for 1 minute to harden, then serve.

Chef's note: If you do not have a kitchen torch, place the ramekins under a very hot broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching constantly. The custards must be cold when you torch them so the sugar hardens properly.

Nutrition per serving

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