Big Crème Brûlée
Updated Dec. 17, 2024
- Total Time
- 4 hours
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes, plus 3 hours' cooling and chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups/480 milliliters heavy cream
- ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk
- 2tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6large egg yolks
- ½ cup/100 grams sugar, plus 6 tablespoons/75 grams for topping
- Boiling water, for the pan
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
466 calories; 35 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 33 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 80 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place a shallow, 10- or 12-inch gratin dish or quiche pan in a larger baking dish or roasting pan so the gratin dish nests in the larger dish.
- Step 2
In a large saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, crème fraîche, salt and vanilla bean and scraped seeds. Bring to a simmer over low heat, then allow to cool for a few minutes to infuse. Remove the vanilla bean (discard or dry it for reuse).
- Step 3
In a large bowl, using a whisk, beat egg yolks and ½ cup/100 grams sugar together until lighter in color. Stir about a quarter of the vanilla cream into this mixture, then pour this sugar-egg mixture into the vanilla cream in the saucepan and whisk. Pour into the gratin dish. Transfer the nested baking dishes to the oven and carefully pour enough boiling water into the larger dish to come halfway up the side of the gratin dish.
- Step 4
Bake until the center is just set and jiggly, rather than liquidy, when you shimmy the gratin dish, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cooked custard from the water bath and allow it to cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator. Refrigerate until cold (about 2 hours) or up to a couple of days.
- Step 5
When you’re ready to serve, arrange an oven rack 2 to 3 inches from the broiler heat source and heat your broiler to high. Sprinkle the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top of the cold custard. Broil, watching closely as the sugar becomes a speckled, candied crust. Move the dish around occasionally to caramelize all the sugar. Depending on the strength of your broiler, this could take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 6
Allow the caramel to harden, about 10 minutes, then serve with a handful of spoons and an invitation to dive in, within 2 hours.
Private Notes
Comments
When using the broiler be exceedingly careful of what kinds of dishes can be used in the broiler. Glass, including Pyrex, will explode. Your bakeware must explicitly says "broiler safe" or "safe up to 550°F.” I have personally had Pyrex explode, not knowing that.
forget the broiler, use a torch
Somehow there are no egg yolks listed in the recipe. How many egg yolks are required? T
I have been looking for a recipe like this for 25 years! When I was younger there was a restaurant in Princeton, NJ (Teresa’s, maybe?) that used to serve a sort of crème brûlée for multiple people. That was always more liquid-y than a regular creme brûlée, and studded with raspberries. I have been craving that dessert ever since my parents moved away from the area, and will be trying this - with raspberries!
Does anyone have any recs for flavoring the crème brûlée and the method? E.g. early grey infused or something of the sort. I’m going to a non-traditional Friendsgiving and would love to spice this up with something different! Made it before as is and it was fantastic.
Put the tea in with the cream/milk step. You'll need to strain so you may lose some of the vanilla beans. If you have vanilla paste you could add a little if you really want seeds. You may also need to steep longer for a stronger tea flavor.
Just made a half-batch of this in a 5x5 Corningware baking dish, baked at 300 for 33 minutes. It's perfect for three people, and so ridiculously easy.