Crème Brûlée

What can I say about Crème Brûlée – let’s face it, Crème Brûlée is simply perfection!  I mean, who doesn’t like Crème Brûlée?  And all the better when the custard is smooth and silky, and the caramelised sugar topping is just a thin layer to crack through – all delicate and light.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
80ml castor sugar
250ml milk
500ml fresh cream
10ml vanilla essence
Extra castor sugar for sprinkling on top

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
2. Beat together the egg yolks and castor sugar until light and creamy.
3. Heat the milk and cream to just before boiling point and remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence.
4. Slowly add the milk mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
5. Strain the custard mixture through a sieve into a jug.
6. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 greased ramekins and put them into a roasting pan filled with water to reach half way up the sides of the ramekins.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until just set.
8. Leave to cool then chill in the fridge.
9. When ready to serve, sprinkle castor sugar over each custard and caramelise the sugar using a blowtorch or by placing them under the grill.