Creme Brulee

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Servings: servings

Calories: 409cal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream at room temperature
1 vanilla bean
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
6 egg yolks at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar divided
6 teaspoons granulated sugar divided, for the topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F.
Place 6 (5-ounce sized) ramekins in a 13 x 9 baking dish.
Place heavy cream, kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan.
2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Cut vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds. Add vanilla bean pod and the seeds to the saucepan.
1 vanilla bean
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Bring only to a simmer, then turn off heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 15 minutes.
Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. RIGHT BEFORE the infusion process is done, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into the egg yolks.
6 egg yolks
Strain cream mixture through a sieve and discard vanilla bean pods.
Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling the warm cream into the eggs while continuously whisking.
Scoop off any froth on top. Distribute custard evenly among the ramekins, the filling should come up to the first rim.
Boil a kettle of water (or boil water in a saucepan). Slowly and carefully add the boiling water to the 13x9 pan, being careful not to get any water into the ramekins.
Place in oven and bake 38-40 minutes.
The creme brulee should have an even jiggle across the top, but should not be sloshing around.
Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan. Remove ramekins from pan and cool them on wire rack another 15 minutes. Wrap ramekins in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.
To serve, remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar across the top of the custard and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can use the broiler to caramelize the sugar.
6 teaspoons granulated sugar

Author: Amanda Davis

5 from 4 votes

Notes

Creme brulee uses only the egg yolk, which helps keep it rich and creamy. Be sure your eggs are at room temperature before beginning, otherwise, they can potentially scramble when introduced to heat.
We love the flavor vanilla bean adds to this dessert, but you can substitute it with a teaspoon of vanilla extract if needed.
If you don't have a kitchen torch handy, you can place the creme brulee on a baking sheet and broil it in the oven for around 5 minutes or until the top has formed a caramelized glaze - keep an eye on it!
Store cooled leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It's best to reserve the crunchy topping until just before serving as it will only stay crunchy for a couple of hours.
You can make creme brulee up to 3 days in advance if you store it (without the crunchy topping) covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, simply follow step 14 - add the sugar and torch the top.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Prep Time45

Cook Time40

Chill Time1 30

Total Time2 55

Nutrition