Crème Brûlée
A classic French dessert topped with a layer of caramelized sugar, featuring a delicate and silky-smooth texture.
Ingredients
vanilla pod
1/4
egg yolks (room temperature)
4 (about 80 g)
caster sugar
30 g
heavy cream (room temperature)
200 ml
milk (room temperature)
100 ml
vanilla oil
2~3 drops
brandy or orange liqueur
10 ml
brown sugar, or a mix of caster sugar and demerara sugar
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the custard base
Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Mix the egg yolks with the caster sugar until dissolved, then add the room-temperature heavy cream, milk, vanilla seeds, vanilla oil, and liqueur, and stir until evenly combined.
2
Strain and portion
Strain the mixture into a measuring cup, then divide among ramekins (about 100 ml each).
3
Bake in a water bath
Pour boiling water into the roasting tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then place in the oven at 160°C and bake for about 14 minutes. Remove and gently shake to check; if the surface no longer wobbles, cool over an ice bath.
4
Caramelize the sugar topping
Once cooled, sift a generous, even layer of brown sugar over the surface. Use a kitchen torch or the back of a heated spoon to caramelize the sugar until deep amber.
