Desserts
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is a French dessert of smooth vanilla custard under a thin sheet of caramelised sugar that cracks when you tap it.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rest
- 180 min
- Total
- 240 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
The secret is slow baking in a water bath and stopping while the custard is barely set. Caramelise the sugar only just before serving so the crust stays crisp.
Method
- 01
Heat the cream with the split vanilla pod to just below boiling, take it off and let it infuse for 10 minutes.
- 02
Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale. Pour in the hot cream slowly, stirring, so the yolks do not scramble.
- 03
Pour into ramekins, set them in a roasting tray and fill it with hot water halfway up. Bake at 150 °C for about 40 minutes, until the custard barely holds.
- 04
Chill at least 3 hours. Before serving, dust with a thin layer of sugar and blowtorch (or grill) it to amber.
No torch? A hot oven grill works — watch it, the sugar caramelises fast.
Frequently asked
- Why did my custard split?
- Too much heat. The water bath and 150 °C keep the yolks below scrambling point — without the bath the edges cook before the centre sets.
- How do I know the crème brûlée is done?
- The edges hold, the centre still trembles like jelly when nudged. It firms up in the fridge.
- Which sugar for the crust?
- Fine caster sugar in a thin, even layer. A thick layer burns before it all melts.
- Crème brûlée vs crème caramel — the difference?
- A brûlée has a crisp caramel crust on top; a caramel is baked over liquid caramel and turned out with it as a sauce.
Rather taste than cook?
We cook galettes and crêpes and pour cider every day at Fresh Market.