Crème Brûlée Recipe

Crème Brûlée Preparation

1. 1

   Prepare the Vanilla Cream

   In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, granulated sugar, and the seeds scraped from the Madagascar vanilla bean (as well as the bean pod). Heat over medium heat until just boiling, then remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Mix Egg Yolks

   In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until they are smooth. Gradually pour the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly to avoid cooking the yolks.

3. 3

   Bake the Custard

   Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Pour the mixture into ramekins and place them in a baking dish. Fill the baking dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.

4. 4

   Chill

   Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

5. 5

   Caramelize the Sugar

   Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar over the top of each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it forms a crispy crust. If you don’t have a torch, you can place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the crème brûlée immediately with pizzelle cookies on the side for dipping or as a garnish.