It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like this rich, crackly sugar–topped
custard dessert. The trick to creating the perfect glassy, crunchy surface is
to combine granulated and brown sugars.
HANDS-ON TIME
15 minutes
TOTAL TIME
4¾ hours
MAKES
6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup whipping cream (35%)
- Pinch of salt
- 5 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar (for topping)
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar (for topping)
Directions:
- Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise.
- In a saucepan, combine the vanilla bean, milk, cream, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Discard vanilla bean.
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until pale and thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, add milk in a slow steady stream.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Divide the egg mixture among six 6-oz (175 mL) ramekins and arrange the ramekins in a shallow roasting pan.
- Pour enough warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven until a skin forms on the surfaces, the edges are lightly set, and the custards are still slightly jiggly in the center, for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the ramekins from the pan and let cool on a rack.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
- Mix the granulated sugar with the brown sugar and sprinkle it evenly over the tops of the custards.
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil them 6 inches (15 cm) from heat, watching carefully, until the sugar is melted and caramelized in color, for 2 to 4 minutes.
- Let the custards cool before serving.
Nutritional information, per serving:
- About 265 cal
- 5 g pro
- 19 g total fat (11 g sat. fat)
- 18 g carb
- 0 g fiber
- 224 mg chol
- 39 mg sodium
- 127 mg potassium.
- % RDI: 9% calcium, 4% iron, 20% vit A, 11% folate.
