Classic Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium saucepan bring the cream to a gentle simmer.

While the heavy cream is warming up, separate the eggs. You only want the yolks for this recipe. You can store the egg whites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Using a whisk beat/mix the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until pale in color. 

Once the cream begins to bubble slightly it’s ready. Remove the pan from the heat source and place on a heat safe pot holder. 

Next you are going to temper the eggs. Carefully and slowly incorporate the hot cream into the egg mixture by adding 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking the eggs. Add about 3-4 tablespoons to the eggs, once that has been incorporated the eggs are warm enough to add the rest of the cream. Always whisking while adding the cream. If you added too much of the hot cream at once you could cook the eggs which would cause them to scramble, which you definitely do not want. Add the vanilla bean paste and stir to mix in. 

Arrange the ramekins or molds in a pan with a lip (jelly roll pan) and fill the ramekins with the custard mixture. Place the pan into the preheated oven. Fill the pan with warm water until the water is about ½ way up the outside of the ramekins.  You are creating a water bath for the custards that will keep the tops from cracking. 

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until set. You can test by lightly tapping with your finger in the center, if it is set you can remove from the oven. If they are still jiggly/liquid-y in the middle, allow them to continue to bake. 

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, the water will be hot. Let the custards cool to room temperature and they store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. These can be made a day or two in advance. 

Just before serving, sprinkle the top of the custards with granulated sugar and use a torch to caramelize until it becomes a dark brown color. You can also place the ramekins under the broiler for just a few seconds, careful because you will end up heating up the custard again if you have them under the broiler for too long.