Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Brown sugar for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Pour the cream into a saucepan. Split open the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the cream, and add bean. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

3. Meanwhile whisk together the yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl.

4. Remove the vanilla bean and gradually pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

5. Strain into 4 individual 4-ounce oven proof ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and fill the pan with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until set, approximately 1 hour. Let cool and then refrigerate.

6. To finish, preheat the broiler. Sprinkle brown sugar through a sieve over the tops of the custards. Place on baking tray and place under the broiler until the sugar melts and forms a golden brown crust. Serve immediately or chill.

Crème Brulèe Variations

Crème brulèe is to an imaginative cook what a blank canvas was to Picasso! Though I adore the classic mixture of heavy cream and eggs, I can’t resist ‘gilding the lily’ with the following good things:

• Crystallized ginger
• Peppermint crisp candies
• Chopped raspberries and black berries
• Praline (caramelized nuts and sugar confection)
• Grand Marnier