Vanilla Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare ramekins

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6-oz (180 ml) ramekins in a deep roasting pan or baking dish that will hold them with space around each.

Infuse cream

Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds with the back of a knife into the milk and add the scraped pod to the saucepan (or add 1.5 tsp vanilla extract if using). Warm the cream mixture over medium heat until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse vanilla.

Mix yolks and sugar

While the cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar (0.6 cups), and fine sea salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly pour about one-third of the warm cream into the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then slowly whisk in the remaining cream until fully combined.

Strain and fill ramekins

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any cooked bits or vanilla pod pieces. Divide the strained custard evenly among the six prepared ramekins (about 4–5 oz / 120–150 ml each).

Bake in a water bath

Place the roasting pan with ramekins in the oven. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (about 1 inch). Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30–40 minutes, or until the custards are mostly set but still slightly wobbly in the center when gently shaken.

Cool and chill

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Caramelize sugar

When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar evenly over the surface of each chilled custard (use the 0.75 cups reserved). Tap the ramekin gently to level the sugar. Using a kitchen blowtorch, melt and caramelize the sugar in a circular motion until it liquefies and forms an even golden-brown crust. If you don't have a torch, place ramekins under a high broiler 3–6 inches from the heat for 1–3 minutes—watch carefully to prevent burning. Let the caramelized tops rest for 1–2 minutes to harden.

Make the dough

In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with the confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together and is crumbly but holds when pressed.

Shape and chill

Gather the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Alternatively, for shaped cookies, roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/4-inch thickness and chill briefly until firm.

Cut and bake

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). On a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut the chilled dough into desired shapes or slice the disc into 1/4-inch rounds. If using egg yolk, lightly brush tops for a shinier finish. Bake for 12–16 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden but centers remain pale. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking for even color.

Cool

Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Serve

Serve each brûléed custard with one or two shortbread cookies on the side. Optionally garnish the custard plate with a few fresh berries or a mint leaf.