Creme Brulee

This recipe is not very hard but will impress your holiday guests.  It is also very delicious and you can make it ahead of time if you are having a party.  Decorate with fresh berries and a small dollop of homemade whipped cream.  YUM!

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup white sugar

5 egg yolks

1 T. vanilla

Free-flowing brown sugar (or regular brown sugar is fine).

Instructions:

*Scald cream (bring it just to a boil).

* Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

*In a medium bowl , beat egg yolks.

* Whisk a small amount of the cream mixture into the eggs to gradually warm them up.  Keep adding small amounts of the hot liquid until the two mixtures are about the same temperature.  *Pour the warmed egg mixture  into the pan containing the remaining cream mixture. Slowly stir over medium heat  for about 8-10 minutes.

* Add vanilla.

* Pour mixture into 6-8 ramekins- which have been placed in a bain-marie.  This is basically a water bath which consists of placing a container (in this case your ramekins of crème brulee) in a larger shallow (1 inch is deep enough) rectangular baking dish (metal or pyrex) of hot water.   This ensures an even and more gentle cooking of the crème brulee.

*Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until crème brulee is set—it will still jiggle a bit. 

*Remove from oven, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

*Before serving, sprinkle the entire surface of each crème brulee with free flowing brown sugar (such as natural brown sugar or turbinado sugar) and then place them in a hot oven until the sugar begins to melt and turn golden.  Be careful—because the sugar can burn fast!  You may also of course use a  crème brulee torch.

*Serve with fresh berries and a small dollop of homemade whipped cream.

**If you don’t have any ramekins, you may make one large crème brulee instead of the individual servings by pouring the custard into a round or square pyrex baking dish.