Crème Brûlée
A silky French baked custard topped with a thin, brittle sheet of caramelized sugar - baking the custard in a water bath is what regulates the heat around it so the eggs set slowly and evenly instead of curdling, and torching a thin, even layer of sugar right before serving is what gives the top its signature crackling snap instead of a soft or burnt crust.
⏱ 60 min🍽 4 servings
dessertvegetarian
Ingredients
- •2 cups heavy cream
- •5 egg yolks
- •1/2 cup sugar, divided
- •1 tsp vanilla extract
- •Pinch of salt
- •4 tbsp sugar, for the caramelized topping
Steps
- 1.Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat the cream in a saucepan until just steaming, but not boiling.
- 2.Whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt together in a bowl until pale.
- 3.Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, to temper the eggs without scrambling them.
- 4.Stir in the vanilla, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, skimming off any foam on top - straining and skimming is what keeps the finished custard perfectly silky instead of bumpy.
- 5.Divide the custard among 4 ramekins and place them in a deep baking dish. Pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- 6.Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the custards are set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- 7.Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until fully chilled.
- 8.Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of the remaining sugar over each custard and caramelize it with a kitchen torch, moving constantly, until deep amber and crackling - covering the custard completely with sugar is what keeps it from curdling under the flame.