Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 500 ml. (18 fl. oz. double cream)
- 1 vanilla pod
- 100 gr. (4 oz.) caster sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1½ tsp. golden caster sugar for each ramekin
- Heat oven to 150ºC.
- Sit 6 ramekin dishes in a deep-sided roasting tin. The ramekins I used were approx.10 cm (4" dia.) measured from the outer rim. Have a kettle of boiled water ready.
Method
Pour the double cream into a pan. Split the vanilla pod in half and gently scrape out the seeds and add them to the cream. Put the rest of the pod into the pan also. Gently heat until bubbles appear just around the edge of the pan.
Whilst the cream is heating whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until thickened and creamy - about a minute.
Take the vanilla stalks out of the cream and pour slowly onto the egg yolks and sugar whisking gently.
Sieve into a jug, pressing through any vanilla seeds.
Pour the custard into the ramekin dishes. These will now be baked in a bain marie. Pour the water from the kettle into the roasting tin to come halfway up the ramekin dishes.
Bake at 150°C for about 30/40 minutes until set but still wobbly in the centre.
Remove the ramekins from the tin and leave to cool enough to put them in the fridge for at least 2 hrs. or overnight.
For the topping:
Sprinkle 1½ tsp. golden caster sugar over the top of each custard. Spread evenly with the back of a spoon. If you have a cook’s blowtorch gently caramelize the sugar to form a crisp topping. Leave to set in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, brown under a high grill.
