Creme Brulee
Quick answer
Creme brulee is a French custard dessert made from just four components: egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean.
What makes this special
- Vanilla bean seeds infuse heavy cream and egg yolks in this four-ingredient French custard.
- Only vanilla-infused cream and yolks; four ingredients total
- Bain-marie keeps the surface smooth and free of air bubbles
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Preheat the oven to 150C and set the ramekins in a deep baking tray with a little space between them.
- 2 Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to 400 ml heavy cream.
- 3 Whisk 5 egg yolks with 70 g sugar and 1 tsp salt just until combined, without making foam.
Creme brulee is a French custard dessert made from just four components: egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean. Hot cream infused with vanilla seeds is tempered into beaten yolks and sugar, then poured into ramekins and baked in a water bath at low heat. The water bath moderates the temperature, preventing the custard from curdling or developing bubbles, yielding a surface as smooth as silk. After thorough chilling, a thin layer of sugar is sprinkled on top and caramelized with a torch until it forms a glassy, amber-colored crust. The ritual of cracking through that crust with a spoon is as integral to the experience as the flavor. Beneath lies cold, trembling custard that melts on the tongue, while the hot caramel introduces a bittersweet crunch.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Preheat the oven to 150C and set the ramekins in a deep baking tray with a little space between them.
Use a stable tray so hot water can be added later without splashing into the custard.
- 2Control
Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to 400 ml heavy cream.
Warm over low heat until small bubbles appear around the edge, then turn off the heat.
- 3Season
Whisk 5 egg yolks with 70 g sugar and 1 tsp salt just until combined, without making foam.
Pour in the warm cream little by little while whisking so the yolks temper instead of scrambling.
- 4Step
Strain the custard through a fine sieve and divide it among the ramekins.
Pour hot water into the baking tray until it reaches about halfway up the ramekins, keeping water out of the custard.
- 5Heat
Bake at 150C for 35-40 minutes.
Remove when the edges are set but the centers still jiggle slightly, then cool at room temperature and chill for at least 3 hours.
- 6Finish
Just before serving, divide 4 tbsp topping sugar over the ramekins in a thin, even layer.
Torch until the sugar melts and turns into a glossy amber crust, then serve immediately while the top is crisp.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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