Creme Brûlée

        

Creme Brûlée

Ingredients:

5 large egg yolks, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
pinch of salt

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar.

In a pot, combine heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, espresso powder and a pinch of salt. Heat up over medium high heat just until scalded. Do not boil.

Transfer the hot heavy cream into a vessel with a spout. This will make the next step easier!


Slowly pour the heated cream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Make sure to whisk constantly throughout this process to prevent the egg yolks from curdling.

Note: the sugar in the egg yolk mixture will help the eggs withstand the heat, but it is extremely important to pour slowly and whisk the entire time. Egg yolks need to be exposed to the heat gently in order to prevent them from turning into scrambled eggs.  


Distribute the creme mixture into shallow ramekins (8 oz.) and arrange them in an oven safe baking dish.

Pour water into the baking dish around the ramekins. You want the water to come about halfway up the side of the ramekins. Be careful not to get any water in with the custard base.

Place in the oven at 300 degrees F. and bake until set about 30 minutes. Careful not to over bake, you want them to have a a slight jiggle. *If it jiggles too much then it will be runny, if it does not jiggle at all then it is over baked!

Remove the creme brûlée from the oven and carefully remove out of the water bath (otherwise it will continue to cook) let cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Sprinkle sugar on top of each individual creme brûlée.

Toast the sugar with a blow torch until the sugar turns a deep golden brown.  Serve!

What do I need to make creme brûlée?

All you need to make creme brûlée is a little patience, and some quality equipment!

Ramekins to bake the creme brûlée are a must. It is important that they are shallow so that the custard base bakes to perfection.

A mixing bowl that has a pouring spout makes it super easy to distribute the custard base into the ramekins.

A whisk to bring the creme base together

Lastly you will need a blow torch to develop the classic creme brûlée sugar crust!