Creme Brulee
User Reviews
5
Creme Brulee
Description
The Creme Brulee recipe uses a combination of heavy cream infused with vanilla, sugar, and egg yolks to create a silky custard base. After heating and steeping the cream with vanilla beans or extract, the mixture is combined with egg yolks, strained for smoothness, and baked in ramekins placed in a hot water bath. Baking at a lower temperature ensures the custard sets gently with a tender, creamy center. Once cooled, the custard is chilled to firm up before topping with sugar that is caramelized to form a crisp, shiny crust.
The key to this creme brulee lies in the balance of smooth custard and crisp caramelized sugar topping, which provides a pleasant contrast in texture. Using vanilla beans or extracts infuses a delicate aroma and flavor throughout. The water bath cooking method helps prevent curdling and uneven cooking, resulting in a luxurious dessert.
This dessert is typically served chilled, allowing the custard to be cool and the sugar topping to remain crisp when freshly torched. It is a classic dessert suitable for finishing a dinner or special meal with elegance and subtle vanilla sweetness.
Adjustments from the original recipe include reducing the egg yolks slightly, using vanilla bean paste if preferred, increasing sugar, and extending baking time to achieve optimal doneness. Monitoring the baking temperature and internal custard temperature helps achieve a perfect set without overcooking.
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream (divided)
- 1 vanilla bean (scraped or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste)
- 3/4 cup sugar (plus more for top)
- 9 large egg yolk
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of heavy cream, vanilla bean, extract, or paste, and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Take off heat, cover with lid, and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Place eight 4 or 5-inch ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Bring some water to a boil (this will be to put around the ramekins to slowly cook them).
- After the cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups of heavy cream. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together. Slowly add small amounts of cream to the egg yolks and keep whisking. Add remaining cream and stir. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Divide mixture evenly among ramekins. Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish making sure not to get any water into the ramekins. Pour enough water into large baking dish to reach two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 33-40 minutes or until temperature reaches 175 degrees. The centers will be barely set.
- Let cool for 2 hours at room temperature. After cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
- When almost ready to serve, sprinkled chilled creme brulees with about 2 teaspoons of sugar, evenly covering the tops. Using a kitchen torch, let the heat dissolve the sugars and create an outer sugar shell. Once complete, return to refrigerator to chill for 30-40 minutes.
Notes
- Use a fine-mesh strainer to ensure a smooth custard without any cooked egg bits.
- Keep the water bath water hot but avoid splashing into the custard to maintain its texture.
- Caramelize the sugar topping just before serving to preserve the crispy crust.
- Chill custards well before torching the sugar to help the topping harden quickly without melting the custard.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 540 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 540kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 48g | 74% |
| Saturated Fat | 29g | 145% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 341mg | 114% |
| Sodium | 41mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 134mg | 3% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 2025IU | 41% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 103mg | 10% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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