An elegant French dessert, loved for the creamy custard and the crisp caramelised sugar layer on top. Perfect for impressing at a dinner party, and that first tap of your spoon through the crisp layer is priceless.
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée
Method
01
Vanilla cream
Preheat the oven to 150 °C (conventional). Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Put seeds and pod with the cream in a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat and let the vanilla infuse; do not let it boil.
02
Egg yolk mixture
Whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until airy. Pour the warm cream, stirring, into the egg yolk mixture and mix with a whisk to a smooth whole. Remove the vanilla pod.
03
Fill the dishes
Divide the mixture between 4 (or 6 smaller) ramekins. Put them in a baking dish with a raised edge and fill with hot water until the ramekins are three-quarters submerged (bain-marie).
04
Cook
Place in the preheated oven and cook for approx. 60 minutes. The middle may still wobble slightly.
05
Chill
Take the ramekins out of the oven, leave to cool and chill for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight), until the custard has set well.
06
Caramelise
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of cane sugar over the custard. Burn this with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar melts and forms a crisp caramel layer.
07
Serve
Serve immediately and enjoy the contrast between the crisp sugar layer and the creamy custard.
Tips & notes
Use the leftover egg whites for meringues or an Eton mess; nothing wasted. And preferably use shallow crème brûlée dishes; in dishes that are too deep, the custard cooks unevenly. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Infuse the cream with a sprig of lavender or orange peel for a different flavour direction.
- Use soft brown sugar instead of white for a deeper caramel flavour when brûléeing.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
| Calories | 526 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 37 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
