Image is for illustrative purposes only.
Crème brûlée is the classic cream dessert: a rich, silky vanilla-scented custard under a thin sheet of caramelised sugar that cracks when you tap it with a spoon. This version is set with custard powder as well as egg yolks, so it is cooked on the stove rather than baked in a water bath. That makes it far more reliable in a busy kitchen — there is no curdling, no wobbling trays of hot water, and it sets firm and smooth every time.
The finished cream is thick enough to spoon into ramekins, glasses or tart shells, and it holds its shape once chilled. Apart from serving it as a dessert in its own right, it is a useful filling for tartlets and pastries where you want a set, spoonable cream that will not run when it is cut.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 167
Number of Units: 6
Unit Size: 150 ml ramekin
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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625 |
2.6 cups
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Thickened Cream
Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Perfect for pouring, baking, whipping or adding the indulgent touch to your favourite recipes.
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B
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
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C
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50 |
1.8 ounces
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Custard Powder
Custard powder is a cornflour-based powder flavoured with vanilla and lightly coloured yellow, sold for making pouring custard. Cooked with milk or cream it thickens into a smooth, stable cream that sets firm when chilled.
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D
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100 |
5 Egg Yolks
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Egg Yolk
The egg yolk is the internal yellow part of an egg.
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room temperature |
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E
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125 |
0.5 cup
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Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Milk is processed into a variety of dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, ice cream, and cheese. Modern industrial processes use milk to produce casein, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk, powdered milk, and many other food-additives and industrial products.
full cream
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1000
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Set out six shallow ramekins on a tray and have a fine sieve and a clean bowl ready beside the stove. |
Everything within reach; the custard thickens quickly once it starts |
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2 |
Mix |
Whisk D, B and C (egg yolk, caster sugar and custard powder) together with E (milk) in a bowl. |
Completely smooth, with no lumps of powder |
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3 |
Heat |
Bring A (thickened cream) to just below the boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring so it does not catch on the base. |
Steaming, with small bubbles at the edge |
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4 |
Temper |
Pour about a third of the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan. |
Warm and evenly blended before it goes back on the heat |
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5 |
Cook |
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and comes to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds to cook out the starch. |
Thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a mark; glossy, not floury tasting |
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6 |
Strain |
Pass the hot custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and stir briefly to smooth it. |
No lumps or strands of cooked egg |
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7 |
Fill |
Divide the custard between the ramekins straight away and level the tops. Press a piece of cling film onto the surface if you do not want a skin. |
Level, even surfaces |
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8 |
Chill |
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. |
Firmly set and cold all the way through |
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9 |
Caramelise |
Just before serving, sprinkle an even, thin layer of extra caster sugar over each custard and melt it with a blowtorch, keeping the flame moving. |
An even amber glass with no burnt patches |
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10 |
Serve |
Rest the brûlées for a minute so the sugar hardens, then serve. |
The top cracks cleanly under a spoon |
Important Notes
This quantity makes about 1 kg of custard, enough for roughly six 150 ml ramekins, or for filling small tart shells. You will need a little extra caster sugar for the tops — about 1 to 2 teaspoons per ramekin — which is not included in the ingredient list. Sprinkle it on only at the last moment; if it sits on the cold custard it dissolves and will not caramelise crisply. The custard itself keeps, covered, for up to three days in the fridge, but once the sugar is burnt the top softens within an hour, so brûlée each one as it is served. Shallow, wide dishes give the best ratio of crisp caramel to cream.
Tools & Arrangements
Heavy-based saucepan, balloon whisk, mixing bowl, fine sieve, measuring jug, digital scales, six shallow ramekins or heatproof dishes, cling film, blowtorch (or a very hot grill).
