Crème brûlée is a French dessert dated as early as 1691 in a cookbook titled “Cuisinier royal et bourgeois”. This dish is also known as “burnt cream”. The french dessert is most similar, if not identical, to something that dates to the 14th century called crema catalana (Catalan cream). The only difference between the two being that crema catalana is made with milk and crème brûlée is made with cream. Crème brûlée is, traditionally, a vanilla flavored custard served in individual ramekins and topped with a hardened caramelized sugar.
Crème brûlée is one of those desserts that are effortlessly delicious and effortless to make. Follow this recipe to make this dessert! All that’s needed is 1 hour and 5 ingredients: heavy or light cream, vanilla, salt, eggs, and sugar. Achieving the caramelized sugar coating on top can be done with a propane torch or using an ovens broiler.
Step 1:
Before preparing the ingredients, be sure to preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Next combine the cream of your choosing, vanilla bean or extract, and salt into a saucepan. Cook on low heat until the mixture is hot then let it cool for a few minutes.
Step 2:
Afterwards, mix the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until the color turns light. Slowly stir in a quarter of the cream mixture from step 1 then pour into 4 individual 6 ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins inside a baking dish and then fill the dish halfway up the ramekins with boiling water. Continue to bake for 40-50 minutes for best results. Once finished, let cool completely and then refrigerate for several hours.
Step 3:
Before serving, add a thin layer of sugar to the tops of each custard then place in oven to broil. Make sure to place the ramekins no more than 3 inches from the heat source. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar is melted and browned. Serve within at least 2 hours.