Creme Brulee

Ingredients

1 cp

whip cream

1 tsp

vanilla

3 Tbl + 1 tsp (40 g)

+more for the top

sugar

3

egg yolks

Makes: 3-4 medium to large servings

You will need: 3 or 4 medium sized ramekins (shallow ceramic dishes), a tin with deep enough sides to hold the ramekins and boiling water to cook them in (a bain-marie) and ideally a propane torch of some kind.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350-375 C
  2. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
  3. Separate yolks into a medium bowl and add sugar.  Whisk together until mixed
  4. Warm cream and vanilla in a small pot to simmer without burning to the bottom
  5. Arrange the bowl in such a way that you can pour into it with one hand and whisk with the other hand.  The easiest way to do this is to put the bowl in an open pot with a towel between bowl and pot to secure it.
  6. When cream is at a simmer, pour it very slowly into the yolks and sugar while whisking gently but continuously (the idea is to not cook the eggs with the hot cream)
  7. Place the ramekins in the tin you will use for a bain-marie.
  8. Pour the mixture from the bowl into the ramekins.  Strain the mixture first if you like, eliminate lumps.  This is professional, but I usually don’t bother.  The crème brulee’s should be < 1.5’’ deep.
  9. Use a spoon to skim any bubbles or foam off the top of the crème brulee’s for a smooth surface.
  10. Fill the tin partially with boiling water from the kettle.  Put in oven and add more water (make sure the ramekins aren’t floating).
  11. Bake 20-35 min depending on oven.  Be sure to check it early.  When the custards are just barely set in the middle they are done.  Tap one on the side, if it wobbles but is just set, it’s done.
  12. Put them in the fridge until cool (at least an hour and a half, but you can hurry it in the freezer for a very short time).
  13. To serve, cover top with sugar evenly (go ahead!  Use lots of sugar!  Brown sugar also works) and flame gently and patiently with a propane torch until the sugar melts and bubbles and turns brown (not black).  It’s possibly to do this in an oven on the top rack under the broiler, but whenever I’ve done it, it cooks the custard too, which sucks.  So you can try it, but preheat the oven on broil, throw them in and WATCH THEM.  It will be less than a minute and timing is important.

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