Trinity College Cambridge banned crème brûlée torches in 1691, forcing chefs to use red-hot salamander irons instead.
Crème Brûlée
Indulge in the rich decadence of crème brûlée, a timeless French delight that combines a velvety custard base with a luscious, crackling layer of caramelized sugar on top. This delightful dessert is elevated by the aromatic essence of vanilla and a touch of egg yolk, creating a creamy dream that’s simply irresistible. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your guests with this easy-to-master classic!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 100 g de yema de huevo (3.53 oz)
- 240 ml de crema para batir (8.11 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Azúcar extra para caramelizar
- 100 g de azúcar (0.5 cup)
- 1 vaina de vainilla
- 1 cucharada de extracto de vainilla (15 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F).
- 2
In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the vanilla extract.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the sugar with the egg yolks. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds, and add them to the yolk and sugar mixture.
- 4
Slowly pour the hot cream over the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent cooking the eggs.
- 5
Distribute the mixture into ramekins and place them in a deep baking dish. Add hot water until it covers half of the ramekins and bake in a water bath for 30 minutes.
- 6
Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
- 7
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over each crème brûlée and caramelize with a kitchen torch until a golden, crispy crust forms.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat cream to exactly 185°F before tempering into egg yolks - this temperature pasteurizes eggs without scrambling them when whisked properly.technique185°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of heavy cream to egg yolks by weight for the silkiest texture, as this provides optimal fat content for proper gelation.ingredient3:1 ratio
- ✓Bake custards until they register 170-175°F internal temperature - they'll jiggle slightly in center but firm up during cooling due to carryover cooking.timing170-175°F
- ✓Use superfine sugar for brûléeing because larger crystals won't melt evenly and create a uniform 1-2mm caramelized layer.technique1-2mm layer
- ✓Strain custard base through fine mesh to remove any cooked egg bits - even microscopic pieces will create a grainy texture in the final product.technique
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Trinity College Cambridge banned crème brûlée torches in 1691, forcing chefs to use red-hot salamander irons instead.
Crème Brûlée
Indulge in the rich decadence of crème brûlée, a timeless French delight that combines a velvety custard base with a luscious, crackling layer of caramelized sugar on top. This delightful dessert is elevated by the aromatic essence of vanilla and a touch of egg yolk, creating a creamy dream that’s simply irresistible. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your guests with this easy-to-master classic!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 100 g de yema de huevo (3.53 oz)
- 240 ml de crema para batir (8.11 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Azúcar extra para caramelizar
- 100 g de azúcar (0.5 cup)
- 1 vaina de vainilla
- 1 cucharada de extracto de vainilla (15 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F).
- 2
In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the vanilla extract.
- 3
In a bowl, mix the sugar with the egg yolks. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds, and add them to the yolk and sugar mixture.
- 4
Slowly pour the hot cream over the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent cooking the eggs.
- 5
Distribute the mixture into ramekins and place them in a deep baking dish. Add hot water until it covers half of the ramekins and bake in a water bath for 30 minutes.
- 6
Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
- 7
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over each crème brûlée and caramelize with a kitchen torch until a golden, crispy crust forms.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Heat cream to exactly 185°F before tempering into egg yolks - this temperature pasteurizes eggs without scrambling them when whisked properly.technique185°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of heavy cream to egg yolks by weight for the silkiest texture, as this provides optimal fat content for proper gelation.ingredient3:1 ratio
- ✓Bake custards until they register 170-175°F internal temperature - they'll jiggle slightly in center but firm up during cooling due to carryover cooking.timing170-175°F
- ✓Use superfine sugar for brûléeing because larger crystals won't melt evenly and create a uniform 1-2mm caramelized layer.technique1-2mm layer
- ✓Strain custard base through fine mesh to remove any cooked egg bits - even microscopic pieces will create a grainy texture in the final product.technique