Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Silky baked custard scented with real vanilla bean, cooked low and slow in a water bath so it sets without a single bubble, chilled overnight, then finished with a thin sheet of sugar caramelized to glass. It's the dessert every Italian-American dining room ends the night with — and it costs about a dollar a ramekin to make at home.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, if not using a bean)

• 6 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar, for torching

• 1 cup fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries
• fresh mint sprigs

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Set six 6-ounce ramekins (or eight 4-ounce ones) in a roasting pan or 9x13-inch baking dish, spacing them so they don't touch. Put a kettle or saucepan of water on to boil.
2. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the split vanilla bean into the cream and add the pod. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream steams and small bubbles form at the edge, about 4–5 minutes — do not let it boil. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 15 minutes so the vanilla fully infuses.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium bowl for about 1 minute, just until smooth and pale. Don't whip in air — foam becomes bubbles on the finished custard.
4. Fish out the vanilla pod. Ladle the warm cream into the yolks about 1/4 cup at a time at first, whisking gently, then add the rest in a slow stream. If you're using extract instead of a bean, stir it in now.
5. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or measuring cup. Let it sit 2 minutes, then skim off any foam with a spoon — this is the step that gives you a mirror-smooth surface.
6. Divide the custard among the ramekins, filling them to about 1/4 inch from the rim. Pull the oven rack out and set the pan on it, then pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Slide the rack in carefully.
7. Bake 30–40 minutes (4-ounce ramekins may be done at 25–30). They're ready when the edges are set and the center 1 inch still jiggles as a single unit when you nudge the ramekin — like soft gelatin, not liquid. An instant-read thermometer in the center should register 170–175°F.
8. Lift the ramekins out of the water with tongs or a wide spatula and cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The custards must be cold all the way through before you torch them.
9. Just before serving, blot any condensation off the surface with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 level teaspoon of sugar over each custard and tilt the ramekin to spread it in a thin, even layer — thick patches turn bitter and won't shatter.
10. Hold a kitchen torch 2–3 inches above the sugar and move it in slow circles until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep amber, about 45–60 seconds per ramekin. No torch? Set the ramekins on a baking sheet packed with ice, and broil 3 inches from the top element for 2–4 minutes, rotating the pan and watching every second.
11. Rest 2 minutes so the caramel hardens, then serve immediately with berries and a mint sprig alongside. Crack the top with the back of a spoon.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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