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Lemon Vanilla Creme Brûlée

A lovely dessert for any time of year!

Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword classic recipe, easy dessert recipe, holiday recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Linda Spiker

Ingredients

  • 8 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar or fine baker’s sugar
  • 2 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
  • Zest from three lemons
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract (but I highly recommend paste! )
  • Raspberries, a lemon slice, or torched caster sugar for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Place rack in bottom 1/3 of oven to prevent browning. Place ramekins in a glass baking dish and set aside.
  2. Separate egg yolks from the whites. ( We will only be using yolks. Discard white or use for egg white omelette)

  3. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl (preferably a bowl with a pouring spout) Set aside.

  4. Zest lemons. Set aside.
  5. Pour cream into a pot (rounded bottom if you have one) Turn on high heat. Watch closely.
  6. As soon as bubbles form on the sides and the center is steaming, immediately turn off heat.

  7. Now add zest and vanilla to cream. Stir well.
  8. To temper: Add cream mixture one ladle full at a time to bowl with eggs/sugar mixture.

  9. Stir well between additions.
  10. This is called 'tempering'. When all cream is stirred into eggs pour into ramekins filling them 2/3 full. Depending on the size of the ramekins you use, this recipe should make 6-8 servings.
  11. Make a water bath or 'bain Marie' by pouring water into a baking dish until water is about an inch deep.

  12. Set ramekins in the baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center of the jiggles but the sides are firm. Do not over cook as this dessert will continue to cook in the ramekins once it is removed from the oven.

  13. You can serve warm with berries at this point. If you wish to torch with sugar keep reading.

  14. To torch: Once creme brulee is cooled, cover and place in refrigerator for three hours. Sprinkle creme brulle with baker's sugar. Light torch, and while holding torch three inches from dessert use small circular motions to melt sugar. Be careful not to burn sugar. Enjoy!