Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures Crème brûlée is a walking cliché, and like offering a Caesar salad recipe, it’s almost embarrassing to show you this one. But this creamy, rich dessert is the perfect love letter. And you should know how to make a great custard (plus, it’s always fun to use a blowtorch in the kitchen). I made crème brûlée for dessert the first time I cooked for my wife when we had just started dating, and it worked out perfectly in every way.—Andrew Zimmern Slideshow: Classic Recipes to Master
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 275°. Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with a kitchen towel. Butter six 4-ounce ramekins and place in the dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream. Divide the custard among the ramekins. Place the dish in the oven and pour enough hot water into the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour, until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let the custards cool in the hot water bath at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool completely. Wrap the ramekins in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
To serve, sprinkle the tops of the crème brûlées with an even layer of sugar and use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.