Burnt Cream (French Crème Brûlée)

Crème brûlée, also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a texturally contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is normally served slightly chilled; the heat from the caramelizing process tends to warm the custard producing a cool center. One of the first recordings of this delicious dessert in its French form was in 1691, but its origin might not actually be French at all. England, Spain and France all claim to have created the first version of the famous crème brlûée. However, food historians generally agree, that custards were very popular in the Middle Ages and in fact their popularity circulated across Europe - thus being impossible to trace custard's actual roots. When it comes to who actually was the first to caramelize the sugar on top, the details are also quite sketchy. Early French versions of the dessert did not in fact burn the caramel like its modern versions, but rather placed a previously prepared caramel disc on top of the custard. However the term crème brûlée didn’t appear until the 19th century - it's generally served cold. Catalans claim that their 'crema catalana', that has a rich custard as the star, topped with caramelised sugar, is the origin of the dessert, though theirs seems to be recorded later in the 18th century. It's served as a cold base with a hot topping. Not only that but Trinity College in Cambridge also claim to be the birthplace, using burnt cream, where the college crest was burnt into sugar on the custard. Titled "Trinity Burnt Cream", it's said that a student came up with the dish in the 17th century, and the kitchens there are still well-known at making this famous dish. Their version in unsweetened and thicker. Crème brûlée is a great example of classical cooking and well worth having in your dessert repertoire. It's a delicate dish and though it may seem simple to prepare, it's important not to be heavy handed with the blowtorch.

1 qt heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 qts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in colour. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7-8 oz) ramekins.
Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the crème brûlée is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40-45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the crème brûlée from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining ½ cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the crème brûlée to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

PROPANE GAS TORCH SAFETY: Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch.