Creme Brulee
The French dessert that never gets old — silky vanilla custard baked in a water bath until just set, then chilled and finished with a thin layer of sugar torched to a crackly amber caramel.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Heat the cream with the vanilla bean pod and seeds (or extract) in a saucepan over medium heat until just below simmering — small bubbles form at the edges. Remove from heat and steep 10 minutes. Remove the pod.
About 5 min
Whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour the warm cream into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Do not add all the hot cream at once or the eggs will scramble.
About 11 min
Strain the custard through a fine sieve. Using a ladle, skim any surface foam. Divide between 4 shallow ramekins (150–180 ml each).
About 11 min
Place ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill the baking dish with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (bain-marie). Bake for 35–40 minutes until the custard is set at the edges but still has a slight wobble in the centre, like barely-set jelly.
About 11 min
Remove from the water bath. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours (up to 2 days).
About 11 min
Just before serving, blot any condensation off the surface. Sprinkle 1 tsp caster sugar evenly over each custard. Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelise the sugar in a circular motion from 3–4 cm distance until the sugar melts into a thin, amber, glassy layer. Wait 30 seconds for it to harden, then serve immediately.
About 3 min
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 440
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 80 mg
Contains: dairy, eggs
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Recipe by Boon Tools.