Pierre Hermé’s Vanilla Crème Brûlée

1. Scrape the seeds loose from the Vanilla Beans (5), using the point or edge of a knife

2. In a small, heavy saucepan, pour the Milk (2 ¼ Cups or 500 g), the Cream (2 ¼ Cups or 500 g) and Vanilla Beans (5) seeds

3.  I know you may be tempted to use Vanilla Extract but I do NOT recommend it : The taste will not be as close to heaven as if you used Vanilla Beans. You will stay on earth... far from heaven

4.  Now, if you can't use Vanilla Beans for any reason, the only alternative that I would recommend is Vanilla Paste, which contains the seeds.

(as Vanilla extract does not contain those seeds).

To purchase online, see HERE

5.  Heat the saucepan on medium heat

6. Keep on stirring with a rubber spatula to prevent the cream to cook

7. Bring to a boil

8.  Hermé says to remove from heat and to wait 30 minutes to let the vanilla infuse

9.  I like to cover with plastic wrap

10. Whisk together the Egg Yolks (9) and the Sugar (¾ Cup or 180 g) until smooth

11. After 30 minutes, it's time to remove the Vanilla Pods

12. Pour the liquid onto the the Egg Yolks (9) and the Sugar (¾ Cup or 180 g) mixture

13. Whisk constantly

14. For the next steps - It's easier to use a measuring cup with spout

15. The best dishes for creme brulées are terra cotta ramekins

16. Pour in the mixture

Baking

17.  Place in the oven and bake at 305 °F / 150 °C

18. While it’s baking, shake one ramekin and check the center : let them bake until they are barely softly set (almost liquid)

19. Here, shaking the ramequin reveals that the cream is still too liquid...

20. Keep on baking...

21. Another check...

22. Here, shaking the ramequin reveals that the cream is set, not shaking anymore

23. It's time to remove from the oven (in my case, I need to bake for 50 minutes to one hour)

Cooling down

24. Let the ramequins cool down at room temperature

25. This can even be done overnight without affecting the texture

Ready to serve?

Remove from the fridge right when it's ready to be served...

Caramelizing

26. You will need a torch which is the best method.

Otherwise, you can use the broiler of your oven

27. Spread evenly some Light Brown Sugar, evenly on the top of each ramekin, using a spoon or a strainer

28. Heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly

29. The contrast between the cold custard and the warm caramel is what makes this dessert so irresistible !