Crème Brûlée

320 min · Medium · Serves 4

380 kcal per serving · 5g protein

Silky vanilla custard under a brittle caramelised sugar crust. Crack the top with the back of a spoon.

Ingredients

• 600 ml Double cream
• 200 ml Whole milk
• Egg yolks × 8
• 100 g Caster sugar
• 1 pod Vanilla pod (or extract)
• 4 tbsp Demerara sugar (for top)

Method

1. Infuse Cream

   

   Heat cream, milk and split vanilla pod in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming — wisps of steam, no bubbles boiling up. Take the pan off the heat and let it steep — sit and infuse — for 10min.

2. Mix Yolks

   

   In a bowl, whisk yolks with caster sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

3. Temper

   

   Slowly pour the warm cream into the yolks in a thin stream, whisking the whole time — this gentle warming (tempering) stops the eggs from scrambling. Strain through a sieve.

4. Preheat oven

   

   Preheat oven to 150°C.

5. Divide custard between ramekins

   Divide custard between ramekins.

6. Place

   Place them in a baking tray and fill the tray with hot water to halfway up the ramekins.

7. Bake 35-40min

   

   Bake 35-40min until just set with a slight wobble — the centre should tremble like set jelly when nudged.

8. Chill

   

   Cool the custards fully, then refrigerate at least 4 hours.

9. Sprinkle demerara evenly on top

   Sprinkle demerara evenly on top.

10. Caramelise

    

    Caramelise with a blowtorch until deep gold and crackling.

11. Eat within 5min

    Eat within 5min for the perfect crack-top.