Traditional French crème brûléesilky vanilla custard and brittle caramel
French vanilla custard baked gently, chilled and finished with a thin crackling caramel crust.
The classic contrast is the identity of crème brûlée: cold silky custard below and warm brittle caramel above.
Ingredients
Custard
Custard and crust
Custard
Preparation
Infuse the cream
Heat cream with split vanilla until steaming; rest 15 minutes.
20 minutesMix yolks and sugar
Stir yolks with 100 g sugar without incorporating excess air.
5 minutesTemper and strain
Pour warm cream gradually over yolks, mix and strain.
5 minutesBake gently
Divide among shallow ramekins and bake in a water bath at 150°C until barely set.
40 minutesChill thoroughly
Cool, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
240 minutesBurn the crust
Sprinkle with remaining sugar and torch into a thin amber crust.
5 minutes
Substitutions
Vanilla paste may replace the bean, but avoid artificial essence.
Storage
Chill the baked custards covered; caramelize only at serving.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 2 days refrigerated before caramelizing.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
