Preface: sorry for the low quality pics, this was from years ago. 😂
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ramekins depending on the size (I used four 10 oz ramekins, if you use smaller ones you will yield more)
whisk or hand mixer
baking tray
boiling water
strainer
fruit to garnish(optional)
*This recipe yields 4 10 oz servings
Step 1:
Warm the 2 cups of cream on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. You just want the cream to be hot without bringing it to a boil. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, whisk or use a hand mixer t o mix the 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup of sugar and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Make sure you mix it well. Once the yolks turn a little pale in color, it's ready.
Step 3:
When the cream develops a film, you know it's hot enough. Using a ladle, spoon the hot cream into the egg mixture slowly. You want to temper the egg yolk mixture, not cook it.
Step 4:
After 3 ladles, you can pour the rest of the cream into the egg yolk mixture and slowly mix together.
Step 5:
Using a metal strainer, pour the mixture into another bowl. You want to filter out the bits that didn't mix too well or eggs shells.
Step 6:
If there's a frothy foam layer, skim off the foam. If you don't skim it off, the top will not be smooth. Pro tip – you can use a cooking torch to get rid of the froth.
Step 7:
Place your ramekins in a baking tray. Fill your ramekins with the creme brulee mixture up to about 1 inch.
Step 8:
Fill the baking tray so that the water reaches up to about half of the ramekins. Bake in your preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The creme brulee is ready when you shake the ramekin and it jiggles, kind of like jello.
*You can also place the tray in the oven before filling the tray with the boiling water.
After you have taken the tray out of the oven, using oven mitts take ramekins out of the water bath. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Step 9:
Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. For best results, refrigerate overnight.
After you have refrigerated the creme brulee, take them out and put about 1 tablespoon of sugar in each ramekin.
Step 10:
With a cooking torch or blow torch, burn the sugar so it caramelizes (see pic). You want to have a few burn spots. If you don't have a cooking torch, I suggest you get a torch.
Optional:
Garnish your creme brulee with fruits like strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, etc.
by NAMPasadena