Crème Brûlée

Top down view of creme brulee in two ramekins.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Crème Brûlée recipe is creamy with a crunchy caramel topping and it's a breeze to whip up! Delicious and simple!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Equipment

Ramekins
Kitchen Torch

Ingredients

7 whole egg yolks
3 cups heavy cream
1 pod vanilla bean preferably, or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 cup fine granulated sugar divided , 2/3 for custard and 1/3 for topping
1 tsp. lemon zest or orange zest
Berry for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 F.
Using a water kettle and boil up 1 liter of water, or more depending on the pan you will use.
Slice the vanilla stalk in half and scrape out all the beans.
In a pot, pour in the heavy cream, vanilla beans, the stalk and lemon zest. Bring to boil on low heat, mixing occasionally.
In another bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until fluffy and light in color.
When the heavy creamy starts to boil, remove from the heat and add the egg mixture slowly to the heavy cream while whisking continuously for a about 30 seconds to create a smooth creamy texture. The custard mixture will start to thicken up a little while doing that.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher to remove the vanilla bean pod, the lemon zest and any other unwanted clumps.
Pour the custard mixture into the ramekins up 'til the rim line as shown in the photos, not all the way through (about 90% full).
Arrange the ramekins in a deep dish. Place the pan in the oven rack and fill the pan with boiling water about 2 inches deep.
Baked for 50-60 minutes until it sets, depending on your oven it may take exactly 50 or a few more minutes. It must be giggly but not liquidly. Sides should be set.
Remove from the oven, and carefully remove the ramekins from the hot water using thongs or something safe. Let them cool at room temperature then transfer to the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
When ready to eat, evenly spread a thin layer of granulated sugar and torch it to burn the sugar on top and create a hard caramel shell. Top with some fruits and serve.

Notes

If you can't find vanilla post, which I really recommend, use 2 tbsps. of pure vanilla extract instead.
The recipe may make more than 6, but it all depends on what ramekin size you are using.
If you don't have an electric water kettle, start boiling the water on the stove ahead of time so it's ready before the custard is done.
Storing the crème brûlée in the fridge after caramelizing the sugar will cause the sugar topping to soften and lose it's crunch.
After whisking the egg batter and the boiling heavy cream together, you will end up with a foamy layer on top. It's best to remove the foam layer before pouring the custard into the ramekins.
Be sure to preheat the oven.

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