There isn’t a creme brûlée that I don’t like… well as long as it’s done right hahaha! It is such a simple dessert with minimal ingredients yet tastes so elegant and rich. I’ve already wow’d family members and friends with this recipe and I know you’ll be able to too. The thing to look out for here is to make sure you don’t over beat the egg yolks or cook the egg yolks when you’re pouring in the cream. So make sure to beat till the yolks are just light in color & whisk constantly when streaming in the cream . Also, do not over bake! I can’t state that enough. An overbaked creme brûlée is dense and the lightness of it disappears. The centers should jiggle, but it shouldn’t look super liquidy. Another thing not to do, and I know this is a hard one, but don’t torch them until you’re ready to devour them! You can do it a few hours ahead and stick them back in the fridge, but after that, the sugars will begin to go soft and melt, and there goes that delicious crunchy hard shell you worked so hard on. I think these are great with berries too, so if you have that on hand arrange them beautifully on top and BAM you just made a restaurant quality dessert. You’re welcome 😉
p.s halve the recipe if you want. I know this quarantine is keeping us all from being close with family and friends so if it’s just you or you and your significant other or roommate or brother or sister… or mom… or dad haha, it will still come out lovely and you won’t have too much leftover. Not that I had any….
VANILLA BEAN CREME BRÛLÉE RECIPE
makes 4
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 8 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar + more for topping
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Boil ~8-10 cups of water in a large pot.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream & salt on low heat till just hot.
- Turn off the heat & whisk in both vanillas. Let it sit to cool for a few minutes.
- In a stand mixer, beat the yolks & sugar together till the mixture turns a light, pale yellow color.
- Take the bowl off the stand & slowly drizzle in 1/3 of the cream while whisking.
- Now add the egg mixture into the rest of the cream & whisk to combine.
- Pour the mixture into four 8oz. ramekins & place them in a pan, making sure there’s at least 1in. between the ramekins.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the pan till it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake for 35-40 mins or until the center is barely set. It should jiggle just a bit!
- Let them cool completely to room temp. before covering and chilling for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
- Once you’re ready to eat them, sprinkle ~1/2 tbsp. of granulated sugar evenly on top of each pot & use a culinary torch to heat the sugar till just bubbling & it turns an amber color. If they’re a little burnt that is okay too.
- Serve within the next couple hours or else the sugar will melt & it’ll no longer be crunchy.
May 13, 2020 at 8:43 am
Your recipe looks absolutely elegant and delicious. I have all of the ingredients on hand except for the vanilla bean paste. Where did you purchase this item? It’s not available at my grocery store. Thank you so much! I look forward to all of your recipes as they inspire me to try new ideas. Thank you again!
P.S. Your photography skills are amazing as well😊
May 13, 2020 at 10:47 am
Hi Dawn!
Thank you so much for the sweet and kind words. I usually purchase vanilla bean pods (which you can also use) at my local grocery store and vanilla bean paste from stores that carry Nielsen Massey such as Sur La Table. If you can’t find it anywhere feel free to sub it in for vanilla extract, though you won’t need as much of it! Happy baking 😊