Creme Brûlée

Five simple ingredients – cream, vanilla, salt, eggs and sugar – make for an exquisitely rich and elegant dessert. Most crème brûlée recipes require the use of a torch to achieve the crackly sugar top, but this version offers a simpler solution: the oven's broiler.

Be sure to let the custard set for several hours in the refrigerator before brûléeing the top, otherwise you'll end up with soupy custard.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar, more for topping

Preparation

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir.
Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a bain marié . Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar (brown sugar) in a thin layer. Cook under broiler until sugar melts about 3 minutes. .

Dessert