Vanilla Pod Crème Brûlée with Demerara Crust
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Silky baked vanilla custards topped with a shatteringly crisp layer of caramelised demerara sugar.
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Method
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Equipment
- medium saucepan
- paring knife
- 6 ramekins (about 170 ml each)
- roasting tin and tea towel
- kettle
- large bowl
- whisk
- fine sieve
- instant-read thermometer
- cling film
- cook's blowtorch
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 574 kcal |
| Protein | 7.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.1 g |
| of which sugars | 24.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 20.5 g |
| Fat | 50.4 g |
| of which saturates | 30.2 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g |
| Salt | 0.16 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 6 servings
Custard
- 1 vanilla pod
- 720 ml double cream, divided
- 100 g sugar
- 0.5 g fine sea salt or table salt a pinch
- 9 large egg yolks
Topping
- 25 g demerara sugar about 6 tsp
- 1
Prep. Set 6 ramekins in a roasting tin lined with a folded tea towel and boil a kettle.
- 2
Infuse. Split a vanilla pod, scrape the seeds into a saucepan with the pod, 240 ml cream, 100 g sugar and a pinch of salt, bring to a bare simmer, then cover and steep 15 min.
- 3
Combine. Remove the pod, stir in 480 ml cold cream, then whisk in 9 egg yolks and slowly combine with the warm cream.
- 4
Strain. Pass the custard through a sieve and divide among the ramekins.
- 5
Bake. Pour boiling water into the tin to come two-thirds up the ramekins and bake at 150 °C until the centres reach 77-79 °C, 30-35 min.
- 6
Chill. Cool the ramekins 2 h, then cover and chill at least 4 h.
- 7
Caramelise. Sprinkle 1 tsp demerara sugar over each custard and caramelise with a blowtorch until deep amber.
- 8
Serve. Chill 30-45 min to re-firm, then serve within an hour.
Storage
Chill the baked custards for at least 4 hours before caramelising, and serve within an hour of torching so the sugar crust stays crisp.
