Creme Brulee
France
About Creme Brulee
Crème Brûlée, meaning "burnt cream", is a rich vanilla custard topped with a thin layer of hard, caramelized sugar. The fun of eating it is cracking through the glassy top with a spoon to reach the cool, silky custard beneath.
The custard is made from cream, egg yolks, sugar and real vanilla, baked gently in a water bath and then chilled. Just before serving, sugar is sprinkled on top and melted with a blowtorch or under a hot grill until it turns golden and crisp.
Similar desserts exist in Spain (crema catalana) and England, where Trinity College, Cambridge, is said to have served a "burnt cream". The French name became famous in the 1980s, when crème brûlée became a fashionable restaurant dessert worldwide.
Ingredients
- heavy cream
- egg yolks
- vanilla bean
- sugar
- salt