Crème Brûlée is the quintessential French dessert, offering a delightful contrast between a rich, silky vanilla custard and a top layer of shattering, caramelized sugar (“brûlée” means “burnt cream”). Achieving the perfect, smooth custard and crisp topping requires just a few high-quality ingredients and attention to detail.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Heavy Cream (35% fat content)
• 1 Vanilla Bean (or 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste)
• 5 large Egg Yolks
• $1/4$ cup Granulated Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tbsp Turbinado Sugar or Granulated Sugar (for the topping)

Instructions

1. Infuse the Cream: Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape out the seeds (the “caviar”), and add both the seeds and the pod to the cream. Bring the cream to a bare simmer over medium heat, then immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let it infuse for 15-20 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod.
2. Make the Custard Base: In a separate bowl, gently whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until they are just combined and pale yellow—do not whisk vigorously or create foam.
3. Temper and Combine: Slowly pour the warm, infused cream into the egg yolk mixture while continuously stirring gently. This is called tempering and prevents the yolks from scrambling. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pouring jug to ensure a perfectly smooth custard.
4. Bake: Preheat your oven to $300^{\circ} \text{F}$ ($150^{\circ} \text{C}$). Place four to six $6$-ounce ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill the ramekins nearly to the top with the custard mixture.
5. Water Bath: Carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish, ensuring the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This water bath (Bain-marie) ensures the custard cooks slowly and evenly.
6. Cook and Chill: Bake for 30-40 minutes. The custards are done when the edges are set, but the centers still have a slight jiggle. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours, or until fully firm.
7. The Brûlée: Just before serving, blot any condensation off the top of the chilled custards with a paper towel. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of Turbinado or granulated sugar over the top of each. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it melts, bubbles, and turns a rich amber color, creating a crisp, hard shell. Serve immediately.