Crème Brûlée

Turn everyday ingredients like eggs, whipping cream and sugar into a classic custard with make-ahead qualities. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

September 16, 2010

egg yolks

cups whipping cream

1/3

cup granulated sugar

teaspoon vanilla

Boiling water

teaspoons granulated sugar

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1

Heat oven to 350°F. In 13x9-inch pan, place 4 (6-oz) ceramic ramekins.* In small bowl, slightly beat egg yolks with wire whisk. In large bowl, stir whipping cream, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla until well mixed. Add egg yolks; beat with wire whisk until evenly colored and well blended. Pour cream mixture evenly into ramekins.
2

Carefully place pan with ramekins in oven. Pour enough boiling water into pan, being careful not to splash water into ramekins, until water covers two-thirds of the height of the ramekins.
3

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until top is light golden brown and sides are set (centers will be jiggly).
4

Using tongs or grasping tops of ramekins with pot holder, carefully transfer ramekins to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
5

Uncover ramekins; gently blot any liquid from tops of custards with paper towel. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons granulated sugar over each chilled custard. Holding kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from custard, caramelize sugar on each custard by heating with torch about 2 minutes, moving flame continuously over sugar in circular motion, until sugar is melted and light golden brown. (To caramelize sugar in the broiler, see Broiler Directions below.) Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

*Do not use glass custard cups or glass pie plates; they cannot withstand the heat from the kitchen torch or broiler and may break.
After extensive testing, we've found that granulated sugar melts best when using a kitchen torch and brown sugar melts best under the broiler.
Some cookware stores sell crème brûlée kits which include a rack that makes it easy to put the ramekins in and take them out of the pan.
Broiler Directions: If kitchen torch is unavailable, set oven control to broil. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons brown sugar over each chilled custard. Place ramekins in 15x10x1-inch pan or on cookie sheet with sides. Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat 5 to 6 minutes or until brown sugar is melted and forms a glaze.