How to Make Creme Brulee

There's nothing more delicious than creme brulee (French for "burned cream"), an enormously popular dessert served in fine restaurants. It has just four ingredients and can easily be made at home. Serves 4.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• powdered sugar for the crusts
• Groceries
• Baking Pans
• Cooking Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Ramekins
• Wire Whisks
• Propane Torches
• Mixing bowls

1. To make creme brulee, heat the oven to 275 degrees F.

2. Scald the cream and vanilla extract by heating them in a nonreactive pan over low heat until steaming.

3. When the cream is hot, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended.

4. When cream starts to steam, shut off the heat.

5. Pour some cream (maybe 1/2 cup) into the egg yolks while whisking quickly. This will slowly heat the yolks, reducing the chance of curdling them.

6. Remove the whisk from the eggs, start whisking the cream, and steadily pour the yolks into the cream while whisking quickly.

7. When thoroughly mixed, divide mixture into oven-safe individual ramekins.

8. For best results, an optional step is to chill the filled ramekins overnight before cooking.

9. Place ramekins in a tall-sided baking pan. Pour simmering water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

10. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. See tips for how to check for doneness.

11. Cover and chill at least two hours.

12. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each serving with a thin, even layer of sugar.

13. If you have a propane kitchen torch, heat the sugar with the flame until it begins to brown. Stop when it reaches a golden color. It should not get too dark.

14. Without a torch, use the oven's broiler setting to caramelize the sugar. Broil for 20 to 30 seconds within at least an inch of the flame or heating element.

Tips & Warnings

• The best test for doneness of creme brulee is the so-called "wobble" test: as the ramekins cook, carefully reach in the oven and gently shake one with tongs or an oven mitt. It's perfect when the edges are set but the rest of the custard jiggles like Jell-O. Cooking the custards past this point will lead to a harder, pastier consistency.

• Four egg yolks is more than enough to thicken a pint of cream; the custard should be silky. Adding more eggs can lead to a pasty, too-thick consistency. In fact, three egg yolks can be used with great results.

• Despite the name, you don't want to actually burn the sugar on top. Only cook it to a golden color. Any darker and it will taste bitter.

• Powdered sugar makes the thinnest, most delicate crust. Regular granulated sugar also works well. Brown sugar makes a tasty crust but must be dried on a baking pan at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Do not use coarse sugar - it requires too much time to caramelize and makes too thick a crust.

• For better flavor, use one half of a real vanilla bean instead of the extract. Split the bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream, then toss the pod into the pan and simmer. Remove the pod before whisking.

• Use a teapot to pour the simmering water into the baking pan - it's easier to pour and less likely to splash into the custards.

• Make sure that as the custards cook the tops are far from the heat source so they don't overcook or turn brown. In an electric oven with a top-heating element, place a sheet pan on the top rack to protect the custards from direct heat.

• Watch the ramekins very carefully when they are under the broiler to avoid burning the sugar.