360 minutes
A classic French dessert featuring a rich, creamy custard topped with a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar.
Vanilla Bean, halved
each
Heavy Cream, divided
cups
cups
Salt, pinch
teaspoons
each
Turbinado Sugar, for each ramekin
teaspoons
1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Ramekins
Preheat your oven to 300°F. Lay a dish towel in a large roasting pan and place your ramekins on the towel, ensuring they don’t touch each other. This setup helps keep the ramekins steady and prevents them from sliding around.
2. Prepare Vanilla Cream Mixture
Take your vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 2 cups of the heavy cream, the granulated sugar, the vanilla bean seeds and pod, and a pinch of salt. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove it from heat and let it steep for about 15 minutes.
3. Prepare Custard Base
While the vanilla mixture is steeping, prepare the custard base. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream with the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the warm vanilla cream mixture, discarding the vanilla pod. Strain this combined mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup to ensure a smooth custard.
4. Divide Custard and Bake
Carefully divide the custard mixture among the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a water bath. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the centers of the custards are just barely set and register 170 to 175°F.
5. Cool and Chill Custards
Once baked, remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, which should take about 2 hours. Then, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
6. Caramelize Sugar Topping
When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of turbinado sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar by moving the flame in a circular motion until the sugar melts and forms a crisp, golden-brown crust. For the best texture, refrigerate the crème brûlées for an additional 30 to 45 minutes before serving.
Experiment with lavender, Earl Grey tea, chocolate, espresso, citrus zest, or chai spices infused into the cream.
Embrace the season with pumpkin spice or gingerbread flavors in your custard.
Add fresh berries, chocolate shavings, or toasted nuts to create delightful taste and texture contrasts.
Add fresh berries or toasted nuts directly into the custard mixture before baking.
Introduce a splash of bourbon or Grand Marnier to the custard for a boozy twist.
Use high-quality heavy cream and genuine vanilla beans for a complex and unbeatable flavor profile. Plump, glossy, and flexible beans are ideal.
Use a water bath for even, gentle cooking, ensuring the custard is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center before cooling.
Temper egg yolks by slowly adding hot cream while whisking to prevent scrambling and ensure smoothness. Strain the mixture to catch any cooked bits.
Gently infuse the cream with the vanilla bean by splitting the bean, scraping out the seeds, and heating slowly to avoid scorching and to extract flavors well.
Sprinkle a thin, even layer of superfine sugar and caramelize with a kitchen torch, moving around to avoid burns, or use a broiler with close attention.
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