Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6-oz ramekins in a deep baking dish or roasting pan with sides high enough to allow a water bath.

Infuse cream

In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds plus the pod (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract if using). Warm over medium heat until just simmering (small bubbles at the edge) — do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse flavor. If using vanilla extract, add it after removing from heat.

Whisk eggs and sugar

While cream is infusing, whisk together the 6 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream and discard (if used). Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot cream into the egg mixture in a thin steady stream while whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Continue whisking and slowly add the remaining cream until fully incorporated.

Strain and fill ramekins

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

Bake in bain-marie

Place the baking dish with filled ramekins on the oven rack. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (about 1–1.5 inches). Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30–40 minutes, or until the custards are mostly set with a slight tremble in the center when gently shaken.

Cool and chill

Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered or lightly covered for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling completes the set.

While custards are chilling (or at least 30 minutes before serving), combine the quartered strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest in a bowl. Gently toss to coat. Let macerate at room temperature for 20–30 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator if preparing earlier). Taste and adjust sugar or liqueur as desired.

Prepare for torching

When ready to serve, remove chilled custards from refrigerator and pat ramekin rims dry. Divide the macerated berries evenly among 6 ramekins (either placing berries on top of the custard or serving alongside — see note). If you prefer the classic smooth top, serve berries on the side; for a fruit-on-top presentation, place a thin layer (1–2 tbsp) of berries on each custard.

Caramelize sugar

Evenly sprinkle about 1 tablespoon (roughly 3/4 to 1 teaspoon) of granulated sugar over the top of each custard (adjust so total sugar used is about 1/2 cup as listed). Using a kitchen torch, hold the flame 2–3 inches from the surface and move in a circular motion until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns a deep amber color (about 1–2 minutes). Allow the sugar to cool and harden undisturbed for 1–2 minutes.

Alternative broiler method

If you don't have a torch, place the ramekins on a foil-lined baking sheet and position them under a very hot broiler (set oven to high broil). Broil 3–5 inches from the heat, watching constantly, until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a deep amber. This takes 2–4 minutes depending on broiler intensity. Remove carefully and let cool to harden.

Serve

Serve immediately after the sugar has hardened, garnishing with any reserved maceration juices, a few extra fresh berries, or a small orange zest twist if desired.