Classic Creme Brulee
Classic Creme Brulee
I have made this wonderful dessert many times, but I have to confess Alton Brown's recipe for this is not only the best in terms of taste and texture, it is also one of the easiest recipes I have tried. I have modified his a little because I usually only prepare this for 2-4 people, so I have adjusted the quantities accordingly.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Hand-held cooking torch
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ vanilla bean split and scraped
- ½ cup vanilla sugar divided
- 3 large egg yolks
- hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 4 (7-8 ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Set pan on oven rack and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
- Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining ¼ cup vanilla sugar among the 4 dishes and spread evenly on top.
- Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
