Description
A classic French dessert, creamy and rich with a caramelized sugar crust.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk (preferably 2% or whole milk, not skim)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until just barely simmering and immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until well combined.
- Slowly ladle the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly and quickly to temper the eggs.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Heat about 4 quarts of water until steaming.
- Place ramekins in a baking pan with at least 2-inch sides.
- Ladle the cream mixture into 6 ramekins (about 7- to 8-ounce); for flatter ramekins (4- to 5-ounce), you’ll probably get about 8 ramekins-full.
- Place the pan of filled ramekins on the oven rack and carefully pour hot water into the pan around the ramekins until the water comes up halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes for deep ramekins and 30 to 35 minutes for shallow ramekins.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven.
- Immediately remove the ramekins from the hot water and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cooled, cover the ramekins and refrigerate until fully chilled, 6 hours or up to 3 days.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and blot the tops dry with a paper towel if needed. Sprinkle sugar over the top of each crème brûlée.
- Using a kitchen torch on medium heat, run the torch across the sugar until melted and caramelized.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate (uncovered) for 30 to 45 minutes until ready to serve.
Notes
- For using a whole vanilla bean, split it and scrape the seeds to add to the cream mixture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 150mg