Crème Brûlée (Caramelised Custard)

A silky vanilla custard under a thin, crackling layer of caramelised sugar.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 600ml double cream
  • 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 6 tbsp caster sugar, for the topping
  • Boiling water, for the roasting tin

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Place six 150ml ramekins in a deep roasting tin.

  2. Heat the cream with the vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes, then remove the pod.

  3. Whisk the egg yolks and 100g sugar together in a large bowl until pale, but do not allow it to become frothy. Slowly pour in the warm cream, whisking gently, then strain through a sieve into a jug.

  4. Divide the custard between the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the tin until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

  5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the custards are just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Lift out, cool, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

  6. Sprinkle each custard with a tablespoon of caster sugar in an even layer. Caramelise with a kitchen blowtorch until deep golden, or place under a very hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Leave for 2 minutes for the caramel to harden before serving.