Creme brûlée recipe

Serve up a French classic for dessert. If you've got a little extra time, this recipe from Woman's Weekly shows you how to make your own custard from scratch too

Ingredients

• 8 large egg yolks
• 50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
• 600ml (1 pint) double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split open
• Pinch of salt
• 150g (5oz) caster sugar

Method

1. Tip the egg yolks into a bowl and add the sugar. Whisk lightly together. Pour the cream into a pan and bring to the boil, then pour it over the egg yolks, stirring all the time.
   
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir continually until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. If you have a cooking thermometer, then the custard should be heated above 70°C to cook the egg yolks. The hotter it’s heated, the thicker it will be, but don‘t let it get hotter than 82°C.
3. Remove the bowl from the pan, and strain the custard into a jug or bowl.
4. Pour the hot custard into 5-6 small ramekin dishes and leave it to cool. Refrigerate it for several hours, or overnight.
5. The caramel is best made about an hour before the brûlées are going to be served. To make the caramel: Pour 3 tbsp water into a pan and add the sugar. Place the pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and boil until the sugar is a pale golden.
6. Working quickly, pour a thin layer of caramel over each ramekin of custard, tilting and rotating the dishes, so that it forms a thin, even layer. Leave the caramel to cool and set before serving.