Creme Brulee

We did pastry all week, so I will be posting some of the recipes we used. This is one of the best basic creme brulees I have ever had. It was creamy with a nice crust and a lot of vanilla. We also played around with some sugar and made some nice decorations that you will get to see them on a lot of my desserts.

Creme Brulee

Servings: about 12

Cook Time: 1 hour
Rest Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients
1 quart heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
10 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
sugar for the brulee

Directions
Combine cream, half the sugar and vanilla in a pot. Cook over medium heat until edges begin to bubble. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Temper the milk mixture into the yolks by pouring in very slowly to begin and whisking quickly. Strain through a fine mesh. Remove any foam from the top of the mixture. Pour into ramekins.
Heat oven to 325F. Place ramekins in a hot water bath and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. It can take less time depending on the size, so check every 15 minutes. When done they should be just barely set in the center and shimmy when gently tapped. Cool to room temperature then wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set. At this point they can be stored in the fridge for a few days. To serve, sprinkle sugar evenly over tops of custard. Raw sugar works really well, but regular granulated sugar also works. Caramelize with a blowtorch. Garnish with fresh berries or sugar decorations. Serve immediately.