Ingredients
- 1/2 vanilla bean, chopped into 1/4" pieces
- 2 T sugar
- 1 C heavy cream
- 1 C half and half
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1/4 C sugar
- pinch of salt
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Pulverize vanilla bean and 2 T sugar in a coffee grinder
Warm cream, half and half, and vanilla sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat just un til steam rises.
Whisk egg yolks, eggs, 1/4 C sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into eggs to temper.
Strain egg mixture into a measuring cup with a pour spout and divide among the 6 ovenproof ramekins. Arrange dishes in a baking pan, then carefully transfer to the oven. Add hot water to the pan and bake custards until set, 35 to 45 minutes. Don't overcook.
Remove ramekins from the water bath, cool, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Chill until completely cold, preferably overnight.
Carmelize each custard before serving by burning sugar on top. Let the brulee stand a few minutes after carmelizing so the topping hardens.
To carmelize, mix 1/2 C packed brown sugar and 1/4 C granulated sugar. Spread in a baking pan, and after baking the custards, place the sugar in the oven and turn off the heat. Leave in the oven for 1 hour to dry out. Place sugars in a food processor to pulverize until fine. Store in an airtight container until ready to carmelize. Then blot tops of the custards with a dry paper towel. Sprinkle 1 - 2 T. of the sugar mixture over each custard. Use a torch to melt the sugar. If you don't have a torch, place under the broiler long enough for the sugar to melt and lightly brown. Set the custards aside to allow the melted sugar to harden on the surface before serving.