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Creme Brulee: Silky French Dessert with Crackly Caramel Top

Classic crème brûlée with caramelized sugar crust in ramekin
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Crack into the caramelized top of crème brûlée, revealing silky vanilla custard bliss beneath.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 360ml heavy cream or thickened cream (1 1/2 cups)
  • 180ml whole milk (3/4 cup)
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped)
  • 50g granulated sugar (1/4 cup), for the custard
  • 6 tbsp caster sugar or superfine sugar, for torching

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean and seeds). Warm gently over medium heat until steaming, but do not boil. Remove from the heat.
  3. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until lightened in color and slightly thickened.
  4. Add a splash of the warm cream mixture into the yolks and whisk until smooth (this tempers the eggs). Slowly stream in the rest of the cream mixture while whisking constantly.
  5. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug or bowl to remove any lumps.
  6. Divide the custard evenly between 6 medium ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large baking dish and fill the dish halfway with hot water to create a water bath.
  7. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the custards are just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
  8. Remove from the oven, carefully lift the ramekins out of the water bath, and let cool to room temperature. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or overnight.
  9. When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of caster sugar evenly over each custard. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown and crisp.
  10. Serve immediately and crack through the caramelized sugar top with a spoon.

Find it online: https://zhangcatherine.com/creme-brulee/