Dessert, French
Crème Brûlée for Two
Silky vanilla custard under a glassy, crackling sugar crust.
- Total
- 45 min
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Chill
- 3 hr
- Skill
- Advanced
- Serves
- 2
- Cost for two
- about $6
Crème brûlée is the definition of a restaurant dessert, but it's mostly waiting. The custard bakes gently in a water bath and chills for hours; the dramatic part, torching the sugar until it turns to amber glass, happens at the table.
Video by Food Club FOX, embedded from YouTube. Their method may differ slightly from ours.
Ingredients
Method
Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Warm the cream with the vanilla seeds and pod until steaming, then take it off the heat and steep for 10 minutes.
Whisk the yolks, sugar and salt just until combined; you want to avoid bubbles.
Slowly whisk the warm cream into the yolks. Strain into a jug and skim off any foam.
Pour into two shallow 150–180 ml ramekins set in a baking dish. Add hot water to halfway up their sides.
Bake 30–40 minutes until the edges are set and the center jiggles like jelly (77–79°C / 170–175°F).
Remove from the water, cool for 30 minutes and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
To serve, blot the surface dry, sprinkle each with 1 tbsp sugar, tip off the excess and torch in small circles until deep amber. Rest 1–2 minutes so the crust hardens.
Cook mode keeps your screen awake. Tap a step to mark your place.
Tips
- No torch? Broil on the top rack for 1–3 minutes, watching every second.
- Shallow, wide ramekins give more crust per spoonful.
Make ahead
Bake up to 2 days ahead. Torch just before serving.
Plating
Place the ramekin on a small plate with a doily or napkin and two berries.
What to drink
Wine: Sauternes or a late-harvest Riesling.
Zero-proof: Chamomile tea with honey.
Questions
Mine is runny.
It needed longer in the oven. Check the wobble: set edges, jiggly middle.