This is one of my favorite desserts. The crunchy caramelized sugar top with the silky creme custard under it is a great way to finish any meal. It is the right size and richness so you feel satisfied but you don’t feel like you shouldn’t have eaten it. I adjusted the sweetness of the creme custard so it shifts more toward the creamy side and not too sweet. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yokes
• 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream
• 3 1/2 tblsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Extra sugar to create the crunchy caramel top (about 1 tsp ea).

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a mixing bowl mix, mix the egg y0lks, the 3 1/2 tblsp sugar, and the vanilla extract until the sugar is incorporated. Heat water in a pan to use with a double boiler later. In a sauce pan, heat the heavy cream up until it is frothy, almost boiling. You can heat on med high at first but when it starts to get warm lower the temp to med low and stir constantly. When the cream is hot and frothy, take a little bit and pour it in the bowl with the egg mixture while stirring with a whisk being careful not to add the cream too quickly (tempering the egg mixture) then continue to add a little bit at a time while stirring till it is all incorporated. Then add into a double boiler over the pan of boiling water stirring constantly until you can dip a spoon in the mixture and it fully coats the back of the spoon (I heated the cream to that point in only a minute and I also just used the glass mixing bowl over the pan the I mixed the egg mixture in to act as a double boiler). Then pour the mixture evenly into six ramekins. Take the boiling water used to in the pan for the double boiler and pour into a baking pan till it comes up almost 1 inch in the baking pan and then set the ramekins in the pan with the water to control the temperature and add humidity while baking. Put into the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 mins. Then take out of the oven and remove from the pan with the water and let cool on the counter for about 20 mins. Now cover and put int he refrigerator for a least 45 minutes to an hour till cool. You can keep in the fridge covered for several days if you’d like. Now when ready to serve heat up the oven broiler till red hot, then coat the top of the creme custard so it is just covered with sugar, no more than 1/8 inch and can be less. Then put under broiler till sugar turns slightly brown, watching carefully since it will go to black very quickly. You can also use a torch for this if you have one. Now put in the freezer for about 5 minutes to cool the sugar and ramekin before serving. Enjoy.