Creme Brulee for Two
What a treat. Creamy. Crunchy. So delicious.
Instructions
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Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300ºF.
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Combine 1/2 cup cream, sugar, and salt in small saucepan; bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Meanwhile, place a kitchen towel on the bottom of a baking dish and arrange two 4 to 5-ounce ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on a towel, make sure they are level and not tilted. Bring a kettle or saucepan of water to boil over high heat (that will be for the water bath).
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After the sugar has melted and the cream has slightly cooled, stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream to cool down mixture further. Whisk yolks in a medium bowl until broken up and combined. Whisk in vanilla extract and about 1/4 cup cream mixture into yolks until loosened and combined; repeat with another 1/4 cup cream. Add remaining cream and whisk until evenly colored and thoroughly combined. If you have lumps in your custard, strain mixture into a new bowl. Pour the mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly.
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Carefully place the baking dish with ramekins on oven rack; pour the boiling water into the dish, do not to splash water into ramekins, until the water reaches half to two-thirds height of ramekins. Bake until the centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer liquidy and a digital instant-read thermometer inserted in centers registers 170 to 175ºF, 20-30 minutes. Check temperature about 15 minutes in.
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Transfer the ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. (Pro Tip: Wrap rubber bans around your tongs to remove the ramekins without slipping) Set ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
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Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place a paper towel on the surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with about 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; tilt and tap ramekin for even coverage. Next, use a torch to caramelize the sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30 to 45 minutes (but no longer); serve. (Pro Tip: If you don't have a torch, you can broil in the oven for a few minutes or use a very HOT spoon to caramelize the sugar.)
Notes
Tips
Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks after the cream has finished steeping; if left to sit, the surface of the yolks will dry and form a film. The best way to judge if the custards are done is with a digital instant-read thermometer, it will be a lot more accurate. For the caramelized sugar crust, I have seen turbinado or Demerara sugar recommend but I used granulated sugar and it worked beautifully. The amount of sugar needed for the topping will vary on the shape of the ramekin. Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon over the top and gently tilt the ramekin. The sugar need will stick to the top, you can pour off excess sugar. Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen.
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