The Secret to Restaurant-Quality Crème Brûlée (It’s Easier Than You Think!)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Place four 4-6 ounce oven-safe ramekins in a large roasting pan.
2. 2

   In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, and the vanilla bean (pod and scraped seeds). Heat over medium-low, stirring, until sugar dissolves and cream is warm (just steaming), but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
3. 3

   While cream steeps, whisk egg yolks vigorously in a medium bowl until pale yellow and slightly frothy.
4. 4

   Remove vanilla bean pod from cream. Slowly, in a thin stream, pour about half of the warm cream into the whisked egg yolks while continuously whisking to temper them. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the remaining cream in the saucepan. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now.
5. 5

   Pour the entire custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or large measuring cup to ensure smoothness. Discard any solids.
6. 6

   Divide the strained custard evenly among the prepared ramekins.
7. 7

   Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan around the ramekins, until it comes halfway up their sides. Be careful not to splash water into the custards.
8. 8

   Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight jiggle. An instant-read thermometer should read 170-175°F (77-79°C).
9. 9

   Carefully remove ramekins from the water bath and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until fully set.
10. 10

    Just before serving, blot any condensation from the top of the chilled custards with a paper towel. Sprinkle a thin, even layer (1-2 teaspoons) of granulated sugar over each custard.
11. 11

    Using a kitchen torch, move the flame steadily over the sugar until it melts, bubbles, and caramelizes to a golden-amber crust. Alternatively, use a broiler, watching constantly to prevent burning.
12. 12

    Serve immediately while the sugar topping is crisp.