Classic vanilla crème brûlée with a silky baked custard and a crackly caramelised sugar top.
About this French recipe
Crème brûlée, burnt cream, is a baked custard finished with a layer of sugar caramelised under a blowtorch. It must be chilled before the top is burnt.
Ingredients you will need
The main ingredients are double cream, vanilla pod, large egg yolks, caster sugar, demerara or caster sugar. Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
How long it takes
Allow 4 hr 55 min in total: 15 min of preparation, 40 min of cooking and 4 hr of resting, chilling or soaking. The recipe serves 6.
Crème Brûlée
Classic vanilla crème brûlée with a silky baked custard and a crackly caramelised sugar top.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 150°C. Heat the cream with the vanilla until steaming, then infuse off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar until combined but not foamy.
- Pour the warm cream onto the yolks, whisking, then strain into a jug.
- Divide between 6 ramekins in a roasting tin and pour hot water halfway up their sides.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until set at the edges with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool, then chill for 4 hours.
- Sprinkle each with a teaspoon of sugar and caramelise with a blowtorch. Leave for 2 minutes to harden.
Notes
Pat the surface dry with kitchen paper before adding sugar so the caramel forms an even crust.