Creme Brulee Recipe

creme brluee with berries and mint on top.

This Creme Brulee Recipe is incredibly smooth and creamy with a delicate layer of caramelized sugar on top. This sweet treat is perfect for any occasion.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 18

Cook Time 30

Total Time 48

Servings

Calories 361kcal

Author Dina

Equipment

Ingredients

5 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar plus extra for the top
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp good quailty vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start off by separating the egg yolks from the whites. The easiest way to do this is by cracking the egg over a bowl and pressing your thumbs in the center which will divide the eggshell in half. Then ladle the egg yolk back in forth from one shell to the other until all of the whites have dripped into a bowl. Place the yolks in a separate large prep bowl. For the leftover egg whites- you can discard them or use them for pavlovas or coffee macarons later.
Now add the granulated sugar and pinch of salt to the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly with a large balloon whisk. Then set them aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream over medium heat and let it come to a simmer (not a boil).
Remove the hot cream from the cooktop and VERY slowly pour the cream over the egg yolks while constantly mixing with a whisk. You want to maintain movement so that the hot cream does not scramble the eggs.
Once the cream is mixed in, whisk in the vanilla extract.
Then pour the custard into a spouted measuring cup while straining it through a fine-mesh sieve. This will catch any clumps of eggs that might have cooked.
Line the bottom of a deep 9x13 inch baking dish with a tea towel and place 6 (4 oz) ramekins on top.
Bring about 7 cups of water to boil in a tea kettle or on the stove, then carefully pour the hot water into the baking dish. Try to avoid getting any water into the empty ramekins. Now evenly distribute the custard between the ramekins.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and gently transfer the baking dish to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. The edges will be set and the center of the creme brulee should still have a little giggle when shaken. Once the custards are cooled at room temperate, cover them with plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
To torch the top of the creme brulee with sugar, start by adding about 1 tsp of sugar and tapping and shaking the ramekin to evenly distribute the sugar. You want a pretty thin layer of sugar.
Now begin caramelizing the sugar with a chefs torch making sure to constantly move the torch to avoid burning one area. Once you have a deep amber color, you are done! Give the sugar a minute to harden before cracking into the creme brulee with a spoon.

Video

Notes

Don't scramble the eggs- When adding the hot cream to the eggs, whisk constantly so that the hot cream does not scramble them.
Keep the sugar topping light- You want a pretty thin layer of sugar on the custard because otherwise it will be too thick, not the delicate layer you want.
Keep the torch moving- You don't want to burn any one area, so to get an even coating of amber, keep the torch moving as you brulee.
How to caramelize Creme Brulee without a torch- In a saucepan, mix 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp honey, and a splash of water and cook on medium heat until it starts turning an amber-golden color. There is no stirring needed at any point during this process. Then quickly pour the mixture over your creme brûlée and angle the ramekin in a circular motion to spread it evenly over the top.

Nutrition