No Fail Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee has the reputation of being a very difficult dessert to make, but the most difficult part is planning and patience. Plan to make this recipe a day before you need it, and make sure you have something to do while you hang around the house waiting for it to bake. As long as you have the right equipment and don't rush this recipe, you'll find that it's a no-fail creme brulee. Make sure you have the right equipment before you start. I recommend using two personal souffle ramekins (mine are approximately 4-5 inches in diameter and about an inch to 1 1/2 inches deep) and one baking dish large enough to hold them both; it is essential that the creme brulee is baked in a water bath. I use glass or Correlle to hold my ramekins.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 2
• Yields: 2 custards

Ingredients

• 1  cup  cream or 1  cup half-and-half
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 3  egg yolks
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
•  brown sugar or  turbinado sugar, for the brulee garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Warm the cream in a small saucepan. Don't bring to a boil, just heat the cream.
3. Meanwhile beat the eggs well in a medium-sized bowl. Add the sugar and beat into the eggs. When cream is heated, add gradually to the eggs while beating. Add vanilla while beating.
4. Prepare the water bath by placing both ramekins in the chosen baking dish. Fill the dish with warm water so it reaches two thirds up the sides of the ramekins. Fill the ramekins with the liquid custard.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees, and bake for another 30 to 60 minutes until custard is set. Custard is set if it only has a pudding-like jiggle when you gently jostle the ramekin. If it has a liquid-like slosh, keep baking at 275. Chill the custard for at least two hours.
6. Add the garnish by covering the tops of the chilled custards with sugar (it should stick to the top of the custard so you can just pour out the excess). Preheat the broiler. Put the ramekins under the broiler for about a minute or two, leaving the oven or broiler door open. In the alternative, caramelize the sugar with a creme brulee torch.