Family-Style Crème Brûlée

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish

Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (165°C). Place a small towel in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish to prevent the custard dish from sliding.

2. Infuse Sugar with Vanilla

Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and combine them with ⅓ cup of sugar in a bowl. If using vanilla-bean paste and vanilla extract, add it directly to the sugar. Whisk together thoroughly.

3. Make the Custard

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the whole egg, and the vanilla-infused sugar until the mixture is smooth and slightly paler in color. Add vanilla extract and rum, if using, and mix well. Gradually pour in the heavy cream, whisking steadily.

4. Prepare the Water Bath and Bake

Pour the custard mixture into a 1-quart shallow baking dish, and place this dish on top of the towel in the larger baking dish. Pour boiling water into the larger dish until halfway up the sides of the custard dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble in the center.

5. Cool and Chill the Custard

Remove the custard from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.

6. Caramelize the Sugar Topping

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the chilled custard. Caramelize the sugar using a kitchen blowtorch or the broiler until it forms a crisp, golden crust.

7. Serve

Chill briefly for about 15 minutes. Serve the crème brûlée family-style or scoop into individual dishes.