Crème Brûlée

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Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert that may seem complicated, but fear not — with just a few basic ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, you can create a dessert that rivals the fanciest French restaurant.

Julia Child famously said, “I think every woman should have a blowtorch.” While it’s uncertain which recipe she was referring to (a blowtorch has many uses in the kitchen), it certainly applies to one of the most iconic French desserts: crème brûlée. This luscious dessert consists of a creamy vanilla custard crowned with a shatteringly crisp layer of caramelized sugar and translates to “burnt cream.” Although it’s often found on the menus of fancy restaurants, crème brûlée is surprisingly simple to whip up at home. If you don’t have a blowtorch, don’t worry — a broiler works just fine for caramelizing the sugar (though I must admit, using a blowtorch is quite the thrill!). To make this dessert, you’ll need four 8-ounce custard dishes or ramekins, as well as a large roasting pan. Much like cheesecake and flan, crème brûlée needs to be cooked in a water bath to ensure gentle, even cooking.

What You’ll Need To Make Crème Brûlée

To make crème brûlée, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients: heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Vanilla is the primary flavor in crème brûlée, and it comes in different forms: whole vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract. Traditionally, a whole scraped vanilla bean is steeped in the cream to infuse the dessert with vanilla flavor. However, if you don’t have whole vanilla beans, you can also use vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract.

Whole vanilla beans are the unprocessed pods of the vanilla plant that are typically used by scraping out the tiny seeds inside for flavoring. Vanilla bean paste is a mixture of vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract that comes in a convenient paste form. Vanilla extract, on the other hand, is a solution made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol. While whole vanilla beans will give the custard the most pronounced and complex vanilla flavor, vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract are perfectly fine substitutes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Scald the Cream

Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer, then immediately remove from the heat. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; add both the seeds and the pod to the cream and let sit for 15 minutes. (Alternatively, add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.)

Step 2: Make the Custard Mixture

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt.
Whisk until well combined and slightly pale, about 1 minute.

Over a medium bowl, strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of the vanilla bean pod (skip this step if using vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract).

Discard the bean pod.

Gradually pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly.

Transfer the custard mixture to a bowl with a pour spout or a large measuring cup.

Step 3: Bake the Custards

Place 4 (8-ounce) custard dishes or ramekins into a large roasting pan. Pour the custard mixture into the dishes or ramekins. Pour enough hot water from the kettle into the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the custard dishes/ramekins.
Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the centers are just set.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs or a wide spatula, remove the custards from the roasting pan. Refrigerate for several hours and up to 3 days (cover them with plastic wrap if making more than a few hours ahead).

Step 4: Caramelize the Custards

Before serving, sprinkle each custard with 1½ to 2 teaspoons sugar, depending on the size of the custard dish. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until it is deeply golden.
Alternatively, place the custard dishes on a baking sheet and broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat source for a few minutes, or until the sugar melts and browns (keep a close eye to make sure they don’t burn).

Let sit for at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.

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