Creme brulee is also know as Trinity cream or burnt cream. It has been around for a long time in one form or another. Traditionally, the dessert contains cinnamon and lemon and goes by the name, crema catalana. In the 1980s, Sirio Maccioni altered the original burnt cream recipe by making it lighter and using vanilla. By changing it, he helped popularize the dessert. Burnt cream is easy to make and requires only five ingredients.

There are many different creme brulee recipes available. I looked through several and found striking differences in ratios of cream to egg yolks. This was my first endeavor making this dessert, so I averaged the recipes to find a happy median. I enjoy a thick, creamy custard, so next time more egg yolks will be added. To go with the custard, I made blackberry compote with rum and spices then strained it. I poured it on top the hardened sugar to serve. In the future, I may put fruit directly in the burnt cream.

Creme Brulee Recipe

1 Quart Heavy Cream (32 oz.)
2 tsp. Vanilla Paste
1/2 C. Sugar (Divided)
6 Egg Yolks
Enough Hot Water to go halfway up Ramekins

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large saucepan, heat the Heavy Cream and Vanilla Paste. It needs to come close to a full boil. Get a pan big enough to hold the ramekins and place them into it. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and half of the sugar (1/4 C.) until the mixture starts to lighten. Make sure the bowl is big enough to add the hot cream. Add just a little of the cream and vanilla to the eggs in order to acclimate them. Otherwise, the eggs will curdle. Slowly pour the rest while stirring constantly. Try not to get too many bubbles in the mixture when whisking. Now, strain the mixture and pour it into the ramekins so that they all have an equal amount, leaving room for caramelizing sugar. I had at least another batch left after filling all six ramekins. I just used what was left in my two souffle ramekins. At this point, put hot water in the pan so that it comes up halfway on the ramekins. You may wish to do this after you place them in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until the custard is just barely shaking in the middle. Take the ramekins out of the pan immediately and place them in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. If you plan on using the broil method for getting the crunchy top, refrigerate overnight first. Whichever method is used to get the crust, it should be set back in the fridge to harden for at least 30 minutes before serving.