What’s a special celebration ~ or a symphony of special occasions ~ without a Crème Brûlée?
Classic Crème Brûlée
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup white sugar
6 Tbs. superfine Bakers’ sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pour the cream into a medium saucepan and add vanilla extract. Simmer over medium-low heat.
In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and thick.
Continue whipping yolks while very slowly drizzling in 1 cup of warm vanilla cream. Go slowly so as not to cook the eggs! (This is called tempering). Once the first cup is added, add the rest of the cream slowly.
Place three small ramekins or one larger pie plate onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour custard mixture into ramekins and then pour water in bottom of baking sheet until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Do not allow to get brown.
Cool custard on the countertop, then chill for at least 2-3 hours, covered in plastic wrap.
To serve, evenly sprinkle with Baker’s sugar. Use a kitchen torch to quickly (but carefully) brown the sugar. There should be a thin, crisp surface of burned sugar on the top.
Classic Crème Brûlée perfection.
