French Creme Brûlée Classic (Printer-Friendly Version)
Silky vanilla custard topped with caramelized sugar, finished with fresh berries for an elegant touch.
# Required Ingredients:
→ Custard Base
01 -
480 ml heavy whipping cream
02 -
1 vanilla bean (seeds and pod), or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
03 -
5 large egg yolks
04 -
100 g granulated sugar
05 -
1 pinch fine sea salt
→ Caramelized Topping
06 -
6 teaspoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar), or granulated sugar
→ Garnish
07 -
Fresh raspberries or seasonal berries
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 -
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Arrange 6 shallow ramekins in a large roasting pan.
02 -
In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream and vanilla bean (split and scraped, including the pod). Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. If using extract or paste, add after scalding the cream.
03 -
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until pale and thickened.
04 -
Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Gradually pour the warm cream into the yolk mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling.
05 -
Pass the custard base through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing jug to ensure smoothness. Discard any solids.
06 -
Evenly distribute the custard among the prepared ramekins.
07 -
Place the roasting pan on the oven rack. Carefully pour hot water into the pan to reach two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until custards are just set with a slight wobble in the centre.
08 -
Remove ramekins from the water bath; allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
09 -
When ready to serve, blot surfaces of custards dry. Evenly sprinkle each with 1 to 1.5 teaspoons turbinado sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until deep golden and crisp.
10 -
Top with fresh raspberries or preferred berries. Serve immediately while the caramel is crisp.
# Handy Cooking Tips:
01 -
To eliminate surface bubbles before baking, pass a kitchen torch briefly across the raw custard. Ensure the sugar covers the entire custard surface for optimal caramelization.
02 -
Adjust bake time depending on ramekin depth; shallow ramekins set faster than deep ones.
03 -
For best texture, caramelize sugar just before serving to preserve the crisp top.