Rating: 4.5 Stars
Time: 1 Hour
Five simple ingredients – cream, vanilla, salt, eggs and sugar – make for an exquisitely rich and elegant dessert. Most crème brûlée recipes require the use of a small propane torch to achieve the crackly sugar top, but this version offers a simpler (and safer) solution: your oven's broiler. Be sure to let the custard set for several hours in the refrigerator before brûléeing the top.
Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
- 2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 8 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup sugar, more for topping
- 1 culinary blow torch
Pre-heat your oven to 300F. Collect 8 large egg yolks into your bowl.
Use a whisk to beat the yolks for a minute or two, or until completely smooth.
Add 1/3 cup sugar and whisk for about 2 more minutes, or until the sugar is fully incorporated.
Use 2 cups heavy cream, or to make it a bit lighter, use 2 cups of half and half. Add the cream and whisk until fully blended.
Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and whisk until blended.
Straining the custard filters out any eggy bits to ensure a nice, smooth consistency.
Fill a large roasting pan with an inch or two of warm water, and place your empty ramekins into the pan.
Fill all the ramekins about halfway, then top up each one a little at a time. Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the custards to cool in the water bath for 30 minutes or so.
20 minutes before you want to caramelize them, take them out of the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature.
Sprinkle the tops of the Creme Brulees with granulated white sugar. Be generous.
Pour excess onto the next Creme Brulee, until there are no loose granules remaining.
Follow the instructions for lighting yours, and adjust the length of the flame to medium.
Hold the torch a good distance away and slowly move it closer, while sort of rotating the flame.
Heat until a nice, caramel-colored glaze forms on top of the Creme Brulee.
Put the Creme Brulees back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so before serving them.
Recipe from The Spruce Eats