Crème Brulée
People love this sensuous, silken dessert. The name means “burnt cream.” The custard is baked ahead and then at the last minute it’s sprinkled with brown sugar and broiled or torched until the sugar “brulées” or caramelizes to a crisp crust. The custard isn’t sweet, so the sugar topping adds just the right amount of sweetness. Refer to the Baking Hints page for tips on how to easily brulée the sugar. Don’t be intimidated by the water bath or the crisp sugar crust – this is a snap to make if you follow the easy directions. You can double or triple the recipe; be sure to use a large saucepan.

This recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups of custard; 4 or 5 regular servings or up to 12 small ones.

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 yolks from large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 to 6 tablespoons of turbinado sugar

Preheat a conventional oven to 325 degrees F. Put the cream into a heavy 2-quart pan and cook it over medium heat it just until it feels warm. Do not overheat the cream; the custard will not be silken if you scald the cream. Stir the sugar with the yolks until evenly combined, and stir it into the cream. Add the vanilla and stir gently until the entire mixture is smooth.

Pour the custard through a strainer and then into individual ovenproof dishes. Bake them in a water bath on a center shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes for small servings, or up to 40 minutes for larger ones. (Refer to the Baking Hints page if you need help with this step.) When the custard is done, the edges will be firm but the centers still a little soft; they will continue to cook after they are removed from the oven.

Take the pan out of the oven slowly and carefully, so you don’t spill the hot water, and set it on the top of a cool stove or a wire cooling rack. Use tongs to carefully remove each of the individual dishes, and allow them to cool completely before covering them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerating them. They will keep for up to 3 days, refrigerated.

Not more than 30 minutes before serving, preheat the broiler, sprinkle the surface of each custard with the turbinado sugar, and put the dishes on a baking sheet. Set the baking sheet under the hot broiler and allow the sugar to caramelize. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.

You can also caramelize the sugar using a propane torch. Please refer to the Baking Hints page for simple instructions.

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