Chefs Binge · French · Serves 6 ramekins

The Best Homemade Creme Brulee

A baked vanilla custard cut with a little milk so it sets silky rather than heavy, in shallow ramekins under a foil-covered water bath, with a thin sheet of caster sugar torched to order.

Prep

10 min

Cook

35 min

Total

45 min

Serves

6 ramekins

Per serving

360 kcal

Ingredients

420 ml double cream

100 ml milk - full fat works best

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

5 medium egg yolks

70 g caster sugar - plus extra for topping

Equipment

Blow torch · Mixing Bowl · Whisk · Cooling Rack

Method

Preheat the Oven. Preheat to 160°C with the fan setting.

Prepare the Ramekins. Arrange six 90 ml ramekins in a deep baking dish, leaving enough space to cover with foil without touching the tops.

Combine the Cream and Milk. In a small saucepan, whisk together the double cream, milk, and vanilla bean paste.

Mix the Egg Yolks and Sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and 70 g of caster sugar until well combined.

Heat the Cream Mixture. Place the saucepan with the cream mixture over medium heat. Bring to 80°C or until bubbles start forming (do not boil). Remove from heat and transfer to a jug.

Mix the Cream and Egg Mixture. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling.

Remove Foam. Use a large spoon to scoop any foam from the surface of the liquid and discard. Return the mixture to the jug.

Prepare the Water Bath. Fill the baking dish with hot tap water to reach about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully pour the mixture into the ramekins.

Cover and Bake. Cover the dish with foil, leaving a small gap on both sides to allow air circulation. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the mixture is set but still jiggles slightly.

Cool the Ramekins. Use oven gloves to remove the ramekins from the baking dish. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Caramelise the Sugar Topping. Before serving, sprinkle about 1.5 tsp of caster sugar over each ramekin. Using a blow torch, caramelise the sugar until a golden, crispy layer forms.

Chef’s notes

Add the hot cream to the cold yolks, in a thin stream. The other way round scrambles them on contact.

Take it out while it still wobbles in the middle. A custard sets around 80 C and there is no rescuing one that goes past it. Deeper ramekins want longer, so judge the wobble rather than the clock: 8 oz ramekins can need 50 to 55 minutes.

Skim the foam before it goes in the oven, or it bakes into a pitted skin that will not take a smooth caramel.

An hour in the fridge is the minimum, not the target. Overnight sets better.

Torch within ten minutes of serving. The caramel starts softening against the cold custard straight away. No torch: grill on the top shelf with the ramekins packed in ice, 1 to 3 minutes, then chill again for 20 minutes.

Keeps covered in the fridge up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Per serving Calories 360 kcal · Protein 4.1 g · Carbs 17.8 g · Fat 30.2 g · Saturates 17.4 g · Fibre 0 g · Sugar 17.5 g · Sodium 48 mg

chefsbinge.com/the-best-homemade-creme-brulee

Cooked it? Rate it at that link · one tap, no sign-up