Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Arrange six 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan or deep baking dish.

Infuse cream

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a medium saucepan. Add the pod, heavy cream and whole milk. Heat over medium until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse vanilla.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While cream infuses, whisk the egg yolks, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and salt in a bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper yolks

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Continue adding the cream in a slow stream until fully combined.

Strain and fill

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any cooked bits and vanilla pod remnants. Divide the custard evenly among the prepared ramekins (about 5–6 oz each).

Bake in water bath

Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and carefully pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (about 1–1.5 inches). Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the centers are set but still slightly wobbly when gently shaken. Avoid overbaking.

Cool and chill

Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set.

Make the crumble: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, cut the cold butter into the flour, powdered sugar, almond meal and pinch of salt using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and some pea-sized pieces remain.

Bake and cool: Spread the crumble mixture in a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant, stirring once halfway. Remove and cool completely; it will crisp further as it cools. Break into small crumbles.

Portion: Reserve about 1–2 tablespoons of crumble per finished crème brûlée for garnish to add texture alongside the brûléed sugar.

Whip cream: Chill a medium bowl and whisk or beaters for 10 minutes in the freezer if possible. Pour the cold heavy cream into the bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form—stable but still light. Refrigerate until ready to dollop.

Prepare fruit: Zest the orange and reserve. Section the orange into small segments if desired. Hull and halve the strawberries. Pat all fruit dry with paper towel to avoid adding moisture to the sugar topping.

Macération (optional): Toss strawberries and blueberries with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and a few drops of orange zest, let sit 10 minutes to macerate and intensify flavor. Drain any liquid before plating.

Even surface: If custard surface has any condensation or moisture from chilling, gently blot with a paper towel to ensure a dry surface for caramelization.

Apply sugar: Sprinkle an even, thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of granulated sugar over each chilled custard surface. Tilt and tap to distribute a uniform layer.

Caramelize sugar: Use a culinary torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a deep amber, glassy crust, moving the flame continuously to avoid burning (about 1–2 minutes per ramekin). If you don't have a torch, place ramekins under a very hot broiler 3–6 inches from the element for 2–4 minutes watching closely until caramelized.

Cool crust: Let the caramelized tops rest 2–3 minutes so the sugar hardens into a crisp shell.

Assemble and garnish: Place a small spoonful or piped dollop (about 1 tablespoon) of Chantilly cream on the edge of each brûlée or to the side. Arrange 2–3 halved strawberries, a few blueberries and one or two small orange segments beside the cream. Sprinkle the reserved crumble over the cream and fruit for crunch. Optionally finish with a light dusting of orange zest over each dessert.

Serve: Serve immediately so the sugar shell remains crisp. Crème brûlée is best enjoyed within an hour of torching; leftovers can be refrigerated (without additional torching) but the crust will soften.