Crème Brûlée

Name: Crème Brûlée
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Cuisine: French Menu
Ingredients: Egg Yolks — 6; Sugar — 100 g; Vanilla Extract — 7 g; Whipping Cream — 500 g; Sugar — 15 g

This classic French crème brûlée is the definition of elegance, featuring a rich, velvety vanilla custard base hidden beneath a perfectly crisp, caramelised sugar crust. When shattered with a spoon, the signature 'brûlée' top gives way to the smooth, luxurious custard below, creating a quintessential, melt-in-the-mouth contrast that makes this iconic, sophisticated dessert an unforgettable treat for any special occasion or dinner party finale.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes

Servings: 3 to 4

Notes:

Use only high-quality, full-fat whipping cream with at least 35% fat content to achieve that classic, luxurious, and smooth mouthfeel that defines a professional-grade crème brûlée.

The custard base must be strained carefully before pouring into the ramekins to remove any air bubbles or bits of egg, ensuring the final result is perfectly uniform and velvety throughout.

Cooking the custards in a water bath ('bain-marie') is essential; it regulates the temperature and ensures the eggs cook slowly and gently, preventing them from scrambling or curdling.

The custards should be chilled for at least two hours—or ideally overnight—after baking; this cooling time allows the texture to firm up beautifully, creating the perfect foundation for the caramelised sugar top.

Achieving the perfect 'brûlée' requires a culinary torch to caramelise the sugar quickly without warming the custard beneath, ensuring that iconic, sharp crunch that contrasts with the chilled, creamy interior.

Prepare Custard
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick, creamy, and uniform in colour.

Heat Cream
Gently heat the whipping cream in a saucepan until it just begins to show small bubbles at the edges, then remove from the heat immediately.

Combine
Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking continuously, then strain the custard through a sieve into a jug to remove any air bubbles.

Fill and Bake
Pour the custard into four ramekins placed in a baking tray, fill the tray with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and bake at 150°C for 30 to 35 minutes until just set.

Chill
Remove the ramekins from the water bath, let them cool, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set fully.

Caramelise and Serve
Sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over the surface of each chilled custard, use a culinary torch to melt and caramelise the sugar until crisp, and serve immediately.