Creme Brulee is an elegant dessert and also quite simple to make. There are very few ingredients, you can make it a day or two in advance as it keeps very well and is usually served cold so it is not heated before serving. Unfortunately, there are many conflicting recipes and they all work with different levels of ease and different results. Here is my favorite.
You will need half a cup of sugar, 8 eggs, and two and a half cups of cream, as well as 6 ramekins or any type of small glass container that you can safely heat.
First, break the 8 eggs and separate the yolks from the white. We will only use the yolks. Mix the egg yolks and sugar completely. Sometimes I use a mixer or egg beater, although many prefer a blender.
Next, heat the two and a half cups of cream until almost boiling. Traditionally heavy cream is recommended, but I prefer a cup of thick and a cup and a half of half and a half. Either works, and the results with half and half are great too, so don’t worry about these details.
Sometimes the cream will boil because you didn’t pay much attention. No problem, just stir it and let it cool for a couple of minutes. You want to mix the hot cream with the sugar and yolk mixture, but you must do it slowly so as not to cook the egg. It’s simple: just do it scoop by scoop while stirring until you’ve mixed half a cup, and then pour in the rest while stirring.
Pour the mixture (well mixed) into the molds or small glass bowls. You should now cook at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or so until the flan is the consistency of jelly. I overcooked my last batch and it still tasted fantastic so watch carefully but relax.
I place my creme brulees on a baking sheet so they are easy to place and take out of the oven. Some recommend filling the pan with water so that it is halfway up the sides of the pans to make sure they cook evenly, but that’s not necessary.
When they’re done, let them chill for at least a couple of hours in the fridge.
In the next step, add a little sugar, maybe a teaspoon, on top of each one. You can melt it with a blowtorch or just briefly roast it in the oven. Ideally, you want a soft caramel brown color, but it will never be perfect, so relax. However, it will taste perfect!