Crème Brûlée

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the racks in the center of the oven.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream, vanilla bean paste, and the entire scraped vanilla bean to a very gentle simmer (the cream should just begin to slightly bubble around the edges; be sure not to boil the cream).
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool very slightly.
• Add eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl. Whisk or beat for about 2 to 3 minutes until thick and pale.
• Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the empty vanilla bean.
• Gradually pour the cream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to ensure that your eggs don’t scramble.
• Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Pour into four small ramekins (or two to three larger ones).
• Prepare the water bath by carefully pouring hot tap water into the roasting pan to come up halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Be sure not to spill any water into your custard or it will ruin the desert.
• Bake for about 25 minutes for this smaller size. Larger sizes will need 30 to 40 minutes. The custards should be set with a slight jiggle in the middle.
• Remove your custards from the water bath and cool to room temperature on a wire rack (for about 30 to 45 minutes).
• After that, refrigerate the crème brûlée uncovered for at least two hours. If storing it overnight, be sure to cover your crème brûlées.
• Remove the custards from the fridge and sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar over the custards (one tablespoon per custard).
• Place your crème brûlée torch about 2 inches away at an angle from the custard and caramelized sugar until it is golden brown and bubbly. Be sure not to touch the melted sugar, as it will be very hot. Allow the sugar to cool, garnish the crème brûlée as desired, and serve. Enjoy!