Recipe for Crème Brulée

For brûlée I think a blow torch is the easiest. I recommend using fine rather than coarse sugar for the brûlée, and use shallow crème brûlée dishes. Make sugar fine by grinding it down a bit with a spoon or in mortar and pestle. Use REAL vanilla or vanilla bean. See the video by Chef Marc Bauer of The French Culinary Institute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=b_16ZZtTH_Y

Servings: 4 crème brulées.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
2 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup sugar, preferably fine, for caramelizing
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

heavy saucepan

kettle with a spout for boiling and pouring water into the bain marie.

mixing bowl and whisk

oven-safe ramekins

deep baking pan

aluminum foil
shallow oven-proof Crème Brulée dishes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Have a kettle of boiling water ready.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan; 5 - 6 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. NOTE Avoid curdling egg yolks by tempering them before adding to the cream. Pour a small amount of the hot cream into the egg yolks all the while whisking. Then continue to pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well-blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide among four 4-oz. shallow ramekins.
4. Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Carefully pan with boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins. The French call this a bain marie. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes. Check the for doneness: with tongs, gently shake a ramekin. When edges of the creme are set, but center moves about, take them out. Use caution when removing ramekins from oven as they will be very hot! Chill 2-3 hours or overnight.
5. Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over top of cold custards then with a Crème Brulée torch, or even better a blow torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly Serve immediately unadorned or with fresh blueberries or raspberries.
6. May be stored in fridge and served later.