Vanilla Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Arrange six 6-oz (roughly) ramekins in a deep baking dish or roasting pan with high sides.

Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a medium saucepan. Add the split vanilla bean and scraped seeds (scrape the pod too) into the cream. Gently heat over medium-low until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edges — do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let the vanilla steep for 15 minutes.

After steeping, remove and discard (or reserve for sugar infusion) the vanilla pod. Return the cream briefly to very low heat if it has cooled; it should be warm but not simmering when poured into the egg mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper the eggs: slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm vanilla cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to raise the temperature without cooking the eggs. Continue adding the remaining cream in a steady stream while whisking until fully combined.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or measuring cup to remove any coagulated bits and any residual vanilla pod pieces. This yields an ultra-smooth crème brûlée base.

Pour the strained custard evenly into the six prepared ramekins, filling to about 1/4 inch from the rim.

Place the filled ramekins in the baking dish. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a bain-marie. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until the custards are mostly set but still slightly wobbly in the center when gently shaken. Baking time may vary with ramekin size and oven; begin checking at 25 minutes.

Remove ramekins from the water bath and discard the bath water. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days to finish setting.

Combine the 3 tbs Woodford Reserve bourbon and 1 tbs maple syrup in a small heatproof bowl. Briefly warm (either microwave for 8–10 seconds or set bowl in warm water) until the maple loosens and blends with the bourbon. Stir to combine.

Add 3 dashes of Jerry Thomas bitters to the bourbon-maple mixture and stir. Taste and adjust — the flavor should be boozy with maple sweetness and a hint of bitters to balance. Chill briefly if it is still warm; you want it cool before applying to the cold custards.

When custards are well chilled, spoon or lightly brush about 1/2 tablespoon of the bourbon-maple bitters mixture onto the surface of each custard. Spread it very thinly and evenly — this adds flavor beneath the caramel crust.

Pat the tops of the custards dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the bourbon-maple application.

Evenly sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar across the top of each custard. For a deeper amber top, use a 50/50 mix of granulated and Demerara/turbinado sugar (roughly 1/2 tbsp each). Gently shake or tap off any excess so the layer is even.

Using a handheld kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar by moving the flame constantly about 2–3 inches from the surface until the sugar melts, bubbles, and forms a deep golden-brown crust (20–40 seconds). Let the caramel cool and harden for 2–3 minutes. If you do not have a torch, place the ramekins under a very hot broiler set about 4–6 inches from the element and broil for 2–4 minutes, watching constantly to avoid burning.

Optionally, for a faint smoky finish reminiscent of oak-smoked bourbon, briefly smoke the surface with a smoking gun fitted with oak chips for 5–8 seconds immediately after torching, covering the ramekin with a small overturned bowl for 10–20 seconds to trap smoke. Remove cover and serve.

Allow the caramel to harden fully (about 2 minutes). Serve each crème brûlée chilled with the warm, brittle caramel shard on top. The oak-smoked bourbon-maple notes should complement the vanilla custard; enjoy immediately for contrast between cold custard and warm crisp topping.