Creme Brulee

For Christmas, my parents gave me a butane kitchen torch.  I couldn't wait to burn something.  It's so great to have another tool and it's a fun one at that. Sure I could do the same thing by sticking my ramekins until the broiler for a few minutes, but this is the cool way.

For the longest time, I thought Creme Brulee was a touch and complicated recipe.  I thought that because people only had it on special occasions, it was full of expensive ingredients.  Nope, it's basically eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla.  It's basically ice cream with a caramelized sugar on top.

Crème Brulee

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

¼ cup white sugar

White sugar for tops

Preheat oven to 300ºF and line the bottom of a large baking pan with a damp kitchen cloth. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

While water is boiling, combine cream, ¼ cup sugar and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally 4 to 5 minutes, until steam rises. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Pour hot cream into yolks, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into four 6 oz. ramekins.

Place ramekins on towel in baking dish, and place dish on oven rack. Pour boiling water into dish to halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover whole pan loosely with foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until custard is just set.

Chill ramekins in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours. Before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch or oven broiler to brown top, 2 to 3 minutes.

You can also serve with fruit! If you make it correctly...it should like this afterwards. Enjoy!!