How to Make Crème Brûlée
By Samita Pandit & Thejo Tattala, Edited by Kavya Gurunath, Taruni Manam, & Shoffana Sundaramoorthy, Art by Evelyn Chen, Layout by Vrinda Gandhi, & Blogged by Kavya Gurunath
Crème Brûlée is a sweet and delicate dessert, perfectly combining crunchy and smooth textures. Though time-consuming, it is easy to make with this step-by-step recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy cream or 3 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Some more sugar for topping (amount is your choice, based on your preference)
Process may take several days for best result.
Materials
- Saucepan
- Medium-sized bowl
- Whisk
- Kettle (or hot water)
- 8 Mini Ramekin Pans
- Baking Pan
- Oven
- Thermometer (Optional)
- Blow Torch or Broiler
Process
1. Preheat Oven to 325° F.
2. Mix the cream/half-and-half and salt in the saucepan over the stove. Set to medium-high heat until brought to a gentle boil.
3. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla extract. Cover and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar together with a whisk, until well-mixed and the mixture is lighter in color.
5. Add the cream one ladle at a time into the egg mixture, whisking quickly between each addition.*
6. Place the ramekins (a ramekin is a small dish for baking and serving an individual portion of food) in the baking pan. Fill the custard mixture into each ramekin.
7. Fill the baking pan (about ½ inch of the way) with hot water and place the pan with the ramekins in the oven for about 25–30 minutes or until the sides look set, and the middle is jiggly. Alternatively, you can use a food thermometer to check. They will be done when they reach 170℉.
8. Remove from the oven and place each ramekin on a cooling rack. Once cool, place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Topping: To top, spread a thin layer of sugar on each custard. Then use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can place the ramekins on a baking sheet to place in the broiler and broil just until caramelized.**
Tips
* To prevent the eggs from scrambling, quickly and thoroughly whisk the cream and egg mixture.
** If you do not have a blow torch, you can produce similar results using the broiler. Set the broiler on high heat and place the custards inside until just caramelized. Be sure to keep a watch to prevent the sugar from burning.
References
Bittman, M. (2003, March 19). Vanilla Crème Brûlée. The New York Times. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9039-vanilla-creme-brulee.
Sally, A., & Sally. (2021, February 4). Easy Crème Brûlée. Sally’s Baking Addiction. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/creme-brulee/.
Originally published at https://issuu.com.
