Crême brûlée classique à la vanille

[Ecco]

Classic Creme Brulee with Sugar Cookies
Yield: 6

Courtesy of: Sugar
Episode: Vanilla
Host: Anna Olson

Using vanilla sugar just builds on the fragrance and flavour of this recipe. If you do not have any made, regular sugar works just fine.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Sugar

1 vanilla bean
2 cups sugar

Crème Brûlée

3 cups whipping cream
2 vanilla bean
8 egg yolk
1/2 cup vanilla sugar or 1/2 cup regular sugar
dash of salt

Directions:

Vanilla Sugar
Put vanilla bean in sugar and leave for two weeks.

Crème Brûlée
Heat cream with the scraped seeds from vanilla beans and add pods to the cream until just below a simmer.

In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric mixer), whip egg yolks, vanilla sugar and salt until pale and thick. With mixer on low speed, pour hot cream (with pods removed) into egg mixture, stopping to scrape down sides occasionally.

Strain and chill completely. Brulee mix can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place 6 ramekins (or flatter brulee dishes) in a pan with at least an 1 1/2-inch lip. Open oven door and place pan on door. Give brulee mix a stir and pour into cups. Pour boiling water around cups to come up halfway to the ramekins.

Bake brulees for 45-55 minutes, until they no longer jiggle when tapped. Remove from water bath and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

To serve, heat oven on broil. Sprinkle tops of custards with vanilla sugar and broil for 1 minute or use a butane kitchen torch.