What is ”Creme Brulee”? This delicious dessert comes in various names – burnt cream, crema Catalana, Trinity cream, and some other nicknames. But all of these refer to a dessert made with a rich custard base topped with caramelized and hardened sugar. Sometimes, all sorts of berries can also be used as toppings aside from the sugar to give it more taste and texture.

At first glance, creme brulee may look very simple. But believe me, there’s a lot going on the inside as well as on top. That’s something that I personally realized the first time I had this treat. Many years ago, I walked into a shop looking for a cake, and this dessert that came in a small foil container was the one that caught my attention.

And so, I ended up buying one. I thought they were going to give it to me as is. But to my surprise, I saw them add some brown sugar on top and caramelized it using a torch. The rest is history. 🙂

So, yeah, creme brulee is part of my favorite dessert list. Each bite comes with a crunchy topping and creamy custard underneath. It’s just sooo good!

Classic Creme Brulee

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• Author: Myles
• Total Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

This classic creme brulee recipe will give you a “crunchy” and “custardy” delight. It’s an excellent after-lunch or after-dinner treat that every single one would love to have over and over again!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1-quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean

1 cup vanilla sugar

2 quarts hot water

6 large egg yolks

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put the cream and vanilla bean (along with its pulp) into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and leave it alone for about 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and set aside.
4. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and mix well until the color lightens. Slowly add the cream while stirring constantly.
5. Pour the mixture into 6 ramekins and arrange them in a large cake pan.
6. Pour the hot water into the pan. The level should be halfway up the sides of the containers.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the creme brulee is set.
8. Remove from the pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
9. Remove from the fridge and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
10. Top with sugar and use a torch to caramelize it.
11. Set aside for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

When baking the creme brulee, it should set but the middle should still be a little bit jiggly.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes + 2 hours and 15 minutes inactive time
• Cook Time: 1 hour

I would just like to reiterate that baking the creme brulee in a water bath is very important. This is to ensure that they will be cooked perfectly. Also, it is a must that you give enough time for the baked custard to chill before the caramelization step if you want to ensure a thick and crackling crust.

Closing Thoughts

Making classic creme brulee does not have to be that complicated. The steps are very simple. This dessert is also something that you can make ahead of time and keep in the fridge. Just do the browning of sugar before you serve it.