Kitchen Blowtorch

This is my favorite recipe for Creme Brulee – the secret is to make sure you use a vanilla pod for that amazing genuine vanilla flavor and to finish the dish off properly with a chef’s blowtorch.

You will need the following ingredients

To make 6 Creme Brulees:
Cream – 17fl oz (500ml)
6 egg yolks
Caster sugar – Half a cup
1 Vanilla pod

Also make sure you have a few table spoons of caster sugar left over to sprinkle when the dish is cooked. You will need some creme brulee ramekins. I love to use clean white ceramic ramekins.

Cooking Steps

Step 1 Cut the vanilla pod open by slicing it open length ways down the middle of the pod. Scrape out all of the pulp with the tip of your knife and put it in a saucepan. Then add the pod as well and the 17 fl oz of cream.

Step 2 Begin heating the pan using only a medium heat – you want the cream to warm without boiling.

Step 3 Set your oven to 250F (140C) so it preheats.

Step 4 Put the egg yolks in a big bowl and slowly add caster sugar to the mixture while whisking. Slowly add the sugar and whisk until your mixture has turned pale in color.

Once it turns pale begin slowly pouring in the warm cream while continuing to whisk. It is really important that you dont stir the cream in too quickly or the eggs could cook, and we definitely dont want that!

Step 5 Use a sieve to strain the mixture into a jug (Using a jug really helps with the next step of pouring your mixture into the ramekins). This is now a good time to boil the kettle.

Step 6 Place 6 ramekins in a roasting tray and pour the mixture into each one. You want the tray to be about the same height as the ramekins so that we can fill it with water.

Step 7 Pour the boiling water into the tray until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.

Step 8 Put it in the oven to bake for 30 mins. Once baked (you want them to be set around the edges but have a bit of “wiggle” in the middle) very carefully (HOT HOT) take them out of the tray to cool at room temp.

Step 9 Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for two hours.

Step 10 Now the fun part! Sprinkle a teaspoon of caster sugar over each creme brulee. Use your cooking blow torch to caramelize the sugar.

Dont overdo it, absolutely no longer than 8 or 9 seconds or we will have ugly burnt sugar topping!

Now you can either serve them straight away or put them back into the fridge for another half an hour. Enjoy!

Heres a handy video I found showing you how to glaze them properly: