Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
This is one of the favorite desserts of all time, with recipes dating back to 1600. Thomas Jefferson was known to serve it at the White House during his presidency. It was rediscovered in the 1950s and 1960s. Then it disappeared until the late 1980s and it has been going strong ever since. I love it for many reasons; the vanilla bean gently flavors the delicate custard and the sound of a spoon cracking the thin caramelized top into sugar shards is part of the anticipation of a simple and perfect dessert. It is a great make-ahead for company. A few berries on top finish it beautifully.
Ingredients for 8 4-ounce Ramekins
1 quart heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out, reserving the scraped pods for the vanilla sugar
1 cup sugar
8 large egg yolks
Boiling water
Vanilla sugar for crust (see recipe below)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat cream, sugar and vanilla seeds to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan. Allow to cool until just warm.
Place egg yolks into a bowl; whisk together and slowly add the warm cream mixture into them, whisking continuously.
Strain through a fine sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher.
This will ensure a smooth crème.
Fill individual ramekins or one large.
Place on a rimmed cooking sheet and put into the oven.
Pour boiling water into the sheet so that the water level covers half of the container.
Bake until barely set, about 25 minutes. A toothpick should come out of the center clean, but the crème should still jiggle like Jello.
Allow to cool in the hot water bath. Remove cover and refrigerate until cold—overnight is best.
To serve: blot any condensation off the tops, sprinkle tops with a light coating of sugar and caramelize with a kitchen blow torch (preferable) or under the broiler. Garnish with berries and serve at once.
Vanilla Sugar
1 cup sugar
Dried vanilla bean pod, saved from recipe above
Immerse vanilla pod into sugar and allow to “infuse” overnight or longer. Extra sugar stores well for the next time.
NOTE
I cook this in teacups, assorted sized ramekins or even a big single dish for everyone to just dig in.