Miss Confection

Sweet things from every corner of the world

🇫🇷 France

Classic Crème Brûlée

Silky vanilla custard beneath a crackling sheet of caramelized sugar

Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
4 hr 55 min
Yield
6 custards
Level
Intermediate
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The story

Crème brûlée means burnt cream, and three countries claim it. In France it appears in print in 1691, in François Massialot's cookbook Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois, as a custard topped with sugar caramelized under a red-hot iron. In England, Trinity College, Cambridge, has long served a burnt cream branded with the college crest, though the college's claim is thought to date only to the nineteenth century. In Spain, Catalonia has its own crema catalana, flavoured with citrus and cinnamon.

The French name is the one that stuck. After a period out of fashion, crème brûlée became a restaurant favourite again in the 1980s, helped by Le Cirque in New York, and it has been a bistro classic ever since.

The method is simple, but it needs patience. Bake the custard slowly in a water bath until it is just set and still wobbles in the middle, then chill it well. Torch the sugar just before serving so the top is warm and brittle and the custard underneath stays cold.

Tips for success

  • Superfine or regular granulated sugar caramelizes most evenly. Brown sugar is too moist and burns in spots.
  • No torch? Put the sugared custards on a sheet pan under a very hot broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching constantly, then chill for 10 minutes.
  • Use the leftover egg whites for a pavlova or a batch of macarons.
  • Torch only what you will serve. The caramel softens after an hour in the fridge.

Classic Crème Brûlée

This classic crème brûlée recipe makes a silky vanilla-bean custard with a crisp, glassy caramel top. Only five ingredients, and the custards can be baked a day ahead.

Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
4 hr 55 min
Yield
6 custards
Calories
~405/serving

Ingredients

Instructions

Bake the custards

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Set six 6-ounce (170 ml) ramekins in a roasting pan or deep baking dish and put a kettle of water on to boil.
  2. Warm the cream with the vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan until it steams and small bubbles form at the edge. Take it off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks, 65 g (1/3 cup) sugar and salt in a bowl until smooth and slightly paler, about 1 minute.
  4. Remove the vanilla pod. Pour the warm cream into the yolks in a slow stream, whisking gently so you don't whip in bubbles.
  5. Strain the custard into a jug, skim off any foam and divide it evenly among the ramekins.
  6. Set the pan on the oven rack and pour hot water into it to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still wobble like gelatin when nudged. They will read 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C) inside.

Chill

  1. Lift the ramekins out of the water and cool for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Brûlée

  1. Blot any moisture from the tops. Sprinkle each custard with about 1 tsp sugar and tilt the ramekin so it forms an even, thin layer.
  2. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above the surface and keep it moving until the sugar melts and turns deep amber. Let it harden for 2 minutes, then serve.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/classic-creme-brulee

Questions, answered

How do you know when crème brûlée is done?

The edges should be set and the center should still wobble like gelatin when you nudge the ramekin. An instant-read thermometer should show 170 to 175°F.

Can you make crème brûlée without a torch?

Yes. Sugar the chilled custards and put them under a very hot broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely, then chill briefly before serving.

Can crème brûlée be made ahead?

Yes. The baked custards keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add and torch the sugar topping just before serving.

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