Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean – split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• Additional sugar for topping

Directions

• Heat oven to 325° F.
• In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Rest for 15 minutes, then discard vanilla bean, or if using vanilla extract, add it now.
• In a large bowl beat egg yolks and sugar together.
• Strain the cream into the egg mixture eliminating any residual pieces of the vanilla pod.
• Whisk thoroughly.
• Place six ramekins in a baking dish.
• Fill baking dish with boiling water 1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
• Pour the cream mixture evenly into each ramekin.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes until centers are just barely set, look for a telltale wobble. 
• Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.
• When ready to serve, top each custard with a tsp of sugar in a thin layer. Use a brush to make the layer consistent across the entire top. For wider ramekins you may need more sugar.
• Blowtorch the sugar until it melts and caramelizes into a nice golden brown.
  • If you don’t have a blowtorch place the ramekins in a broiler on high about 3 inches from the heat source. Broiler option tends to be more hit or miss so get a torch if you can.
• Serve within two hours of caramelizing.

Chef’s Notes

• Do not skip the rest period or the cream will be too hot and will cook the eggs!
• The custard can be made several days in advance. Keep refrigerated and torch the sugar up to two hours before serving.