Crème Brûlée

The crown jewel of French desserts — silky vanilla custard with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust that shatters with each tap of the spoon. Elegant, impressive, and surprisingly easy.

Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Servings
6
Calories
350
Difficulty
Medium
Cuisine
French
Crème Brûlée - Desserts recipe

Ingredients

  • • 2 cups heavy cream
  • • 5 egg yolks
  • • 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for brûléeing
  • • 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
  • • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat heavy cream and vanilla bean (split and scraped) in a saucepan until just simmering. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
  2. Step 2: Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick.
  3. Step 3: Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper. Strain through a fine sieve.
  4. Step 4: Divide custard among six ramekins. Place in a deep baking pan and pour hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  5. Step 5: Bake for 40-45 minutes until set around the edges but still jiggly in the center.
  6. Step 6: Remove from water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  7. Step 7: Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar on each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize until golden and crackling.