Here’s a classic, elegant recipe for Crème Brûlée—rich custard with a crisp caramelized sugar topping:
Crème Brûlée (Serves 4–6)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar (plus extra for topping)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven: 325°F (160°C).
- Heat cream:
- Pour cream into a saucepan.
- Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream (or add extract).
- Heat until just simmering; remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
- Prepare custard:
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and smooth.
- Slowly pour warm cream into egg yolks, whisking constantly (tempering).
- Strain mixture:
- Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked egg bits.
- Bake in water bath:
- Place ramekins in a deep baking dish. Pour custard into ramekins.
- Add hot water to the pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake 35–40 minutes until custard is set but slightly jiggly in the center.
- Cool:
- Remove ramekins from water bath, cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 2 days).
- Caramelize sugar:
- Sprinkle 1–2 tsp granulated sugar evenly over each custard.
- Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize sugar until golden brown.
- Let sit 1–2 min before serving to harden the sugar.
Tips for Perfect Crème Brûlée
- Use room-temperature eggs for smooth custard.
- Don’t overheat cream or eggs to avoid curdling.
- If you don’t have a torch, broil sugar under high heat 1–2 minutes—watch closely to prevent burning.
- For flavor variations: add orange zest, coffee, or liqueur (Grand Marnier, Kahlúa) to cream.
If you want, I can also give a mini crème brûlée version with chocolate or caramel swirl—perfect for individual servings at parties.
Do you want me to share that version too?
