Classic Crème Brûlée

About This Recipe

Crème brûlée is one of the great paradoxes of French pastry: impossibly simple ingredients — cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla — transformed into a dessert of breathtaking elegance. The dish first appeared in French culinary literature in the 17th century, though Trinity College Cambridge also claims a version. The defining ritual of tapping through the glass-thin caramel to reach the cool, trembling custard beneath has made it a timeless restaurant staple and a beloved dinner-party showstopper. Getting the texture right requires attention to temperature and a patient hand with the blowtorch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 mlheavy cream(36% fat or higher)
• 5 largeegg yolks
• 80 gcaster sugar(plus extra for topping)
• 1 wholevanilla bean(split and seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla paste)
• 1 pinchfine salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the cream

   Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds. Heat over medium heat until just below simmering — small bubbles will appear at the edges. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

   Infusing the cream builds far more flavour than simply adding vanilla extract to the finished custard.

2. 2

   Whisk yolks and sugar

   In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, caster sugar, and salt together until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Do not over-whisk — incorporating too much air creates bubbles in the finished custard.

3. 3

   Temper and strain the custard

   Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. This tempering prevents the eggs from scrambling. Pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug. Skim any foam from the surface.

4. 4

   Bake in a bain-marie

   Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Set four 150 ml ramekins in a deep baking dish. Pour custard evenly into ramekins. Fill the baking dish with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the edges are set but the centre still wobbles like jelly when gently shaken.

   Cover loosely with foil if the tops start to colour — crème brûlée should be pale gold, not brown.

5. 5

   Chill completely

   Remove ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours or overnight. The custard must be thoroughly cold before brûléeing — warm custard will melt rather than set under the caramel.

6. 6

   Caramelise the sugar and serve

   Blot any condensation from the custard surface with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1–1.5 teaspoons of caster sugar evenly over each ramekin. Using a kitchen blowtorch, melt the sugar in slow circular motions until it bubbles and turns deep amber. Let the caramel harden for 1 minute before serving.

   Two thin layers of sugar caramelise more evenly than one thick layer.

Variations

• •

  Lavender Crème Brûlée: Add 1 tsp dried culinary lavender to the cream while infusing.

• •

  Coffee Crème Brûlée: Stir 2 tsp instant espresso powder into the warm cream before tempering.

• •

  Citrus Brûlée: Replace vanilla with the zest of one orange and one lemon.

Storage

Unbrûléed custards keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Once the sugar is caramelised, serve within 30 minutes — the caramel softens and weeps as it sits. Do not freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions