CLASSIC CRÈME BRÛLÉE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups heavy cream - (or 1½ cups cream + ½ cup milk if you need to stretch it)

• 7 egg yolks - (save whites for later use or discard)

• ½ cup sugar (white is traditional)

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp vanilla

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1: Heat the Cream

• Put cream in a saucepan

• Heat on medium-low

• Just until steaming and tiny bubbles form at edges - Do NOT boil

Remove from heat.

Step 2: Whisk Yolks + Sugar

In a bowl:

• Whisk egg yolks + sugar + salt

• Until slightly lighter and smooth
  (no whipping, no air)
  
  

Step 3: Temper (Non-Negotiable)

• Slowly pour hot cream into yolks while whisking

• Do this gradually

• Stir in vanilla.

(Optional: strain for ultra-smooth custard)

Step 4: Bake in a Water Bath

1. Heat oven to 325°F

2. Pour custard into ramekins or small oven-safe bowls

3. Place them in a baking dish

4. Pour hot water around them until it reaches halfway up the sides

Bake 35–45 minutes until:

• edges are set

• center barely jiggles like soft gelatin

Remove, cool on counter 30 minutes, then chill at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

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BROWN SUGAR SAUCE

You’ll Need

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 3 tbsp butter

• ¼ cup heavy cream (or milk in a pinch)

• Pinch of salt

• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves - spice to your liking

• Minced pecans (optional)

• Tiny splash vanilla (optional)

How

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan

2. Add brown sugar, stir until dissolved

3. Let it gently bubble 2–3 minutes

4. Add cream slowly, stirring

5. Simmer 2 more minutes until glossy

6. Finish with salt + vanilla

Remove from heat. It will thicken as it cools.

NOTES FROM MY TABLE

• Low heat is everything. If the cream boils, the custard will taste eggy and lose its silkiness.

• When whisking yolks and sugar, aim for smooth and pale, not foamy. Air bubbles ruin the final texture.

• Temper slowly. Rushing this step is the number one reason custards curdle.

• Always bake in a water bath. The water protects the custard from direct heat and keeps it creamy.

• Use hot water for the bath, not cold. Cold water drops oven temperature and causes uneven baking.

• The custard is done when the edges are set but the center still trembles slightly like soft gelatin.

• Overbaked brûlée will look fine but eat grainy. Trust the jiggle.

• Let custards cool at room temperature before refrigerating to prevent condensation.

• Chill at least two hours, overnight is better. Flavor deepens as it rests.

• For brown sugar sauce, cook until glossy and amber but not dark. Burnt sugar is bitter.

• Always pour warm sauce over cold custard just before serving for contrast.

• Serve simply. No garnish is better than the wrong garnish.