Crème Brûlée (Vanilla Bean Custard with caramel top) is one of my all-time favorite desserts. Choosing one for France was not easy as there are hundreds of amazing choices. This however won the contest. It is so delicious.
Crème Brûlée actually means burnt cream. The top is covered with sugar and then burnt with a torch to make a hard caramelized topping. This is also great because you can make it ahead of time and just brulee the top before serving. Enjoy this traditional french specialty. Bon appetit!
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Crème Brûlée (Vanilla Bean Custard with caramel top)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
- 1/3 cup plus 6 teaspoons granulated sugar divided
- 4 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 300°F. Add heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and pod to small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until little bubbles form around sides of the cream in the pot.
- Combine egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until pale yellow and yolks fall off of whisk in ribbons, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. With mixer running on medium-low speed, slowly add hot cream mixture. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Place a folded kitchen towel (or a few paper towels) on the bottom of a roasting pan or glass baking dish large enough to hold six 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins on top of towel and ladle custard base evenly between them. Pour hot water into baking dish until it comes 1/2 way up sides of ramekins.
- Bake until custard is set but still jiggles in center, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature without removing ramekins from water bath. Once cool, cover ramekins in plastic and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, and up to overnight.
- To serve, sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon sugar. Brown with kitchen torch, and serve immediately.
