French Recipe – CrÈme BrÛlÉe

Meaning ‘burnt cream’ in English, crème brûlée is a classic French dessert that consists of a rich, vanilla custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel. The dish originated in France in the late 17th century, with the earliest known recipe appearing in François Massialot’s 1691 cookbook ‘Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois’.

Crème brûlée is the perfect crowd-pleaser and can be served all year-round at dinner parties or if you just want to satisfy that sweet-tooth craving. For a little twist, try finishing the recipe with ome summer berries or a splash of rum/Cointreau for the adults!

Number of servings: 4
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 200 ml of double cream
  • 100 ml of full-fat milk
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp of white sugar
  • 2 tbsp of brown sugar 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°.

Step 2: Whisk together the cream, white sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, take it off the heat and set-up a double boiler.

Step 4: Add the egg yolks to the mixture and beat constantly. Place this new mixture over the double boiler for about three minutes.

Step 5: Pour the mixture into an ovenproof ramekin and place into the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Step 6: After 30 minutes, allow the mixture to cool down and place into a fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Step 7: Preheat the grill setting of your oven and sprinkle the brown sugar over the now-cooled ramekins. Place under the grill and allow it to broil until the sugar caramelises and turns golden-brown.

Enjoy!

Discover more delicious French recipes HERE.

creme brulee