A dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel. It is usually served chilled.
Prep 15 min · Cook 45 min · Serves 6
Ingredients
Heavy cream2 cups · 480 ml
Sugar½ cup · 100 g
Vanilla bean1
Egg yolks6
Sugar (for the topping)½ cup · 100 g
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream, ½ cup of sugar, and the vanilla bean over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are light yellow. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 9-inch square baking dish.
Place the dish in a large baking pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish.
Bake the custard until it is just set but still trembles in the center, 35–45 minutes.
Remove the dish from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of sugar evenly over the top of the custard. Place the dish under the broiler until the sugar is melted and caramelized, 1–2 minutes. Let the crème brûlée cool for 5 minutes before serving.
The whole point is the crack — that first tap of the spoon through the glassy
caramel into the cool custard underneath. Making everyone wait until it's
properly chilled is the hardest part.
The Chef's Touch For a twist on this classic, try adding a layer of fruit on top of the custard before caramelizing the sugar. You can also use a flavored sugar, such as lavender or coconut, for the caramelized topping. Crème brûlée is often served with a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
