Crème Brûlée

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine cream and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence.
2. Whisk eggs, yolks and castor sugar together.
3. Add the warm milk mixture to the egg mixture while stirring until sugar has dissolved.
4. Strain the mixture through a sieve and pour into 6 ramekins with a capacity of 125 ml (½ cup).
5. Place a dish cloth on the bottom of an oven tray (to stop ramekins from moving), and carefully place ramekins on cloth. Fill the oven tray to 2⁄³ with hot water and carefully place tray in the oven.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until set. To test, gently shake the ramekin.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
8. Refrigerate for 4 - 5 hours or preferably overnight.
9. Sprinkle the white sugar over the ramekins and place under a preheated grill for 5 – 7 minutes or until sugar has caramelised, alternatively use a cook’s blow torch.
10. VARIATIONS: GRANADILLA CRÈME BRÛLÉE • Add 60 ml (4 T) granadilla pulp to the basic custard after straining. Proceed as above. CHOCOLATE CRÈME BRÛLÉE • Add 100 g chopped dark chocolate to the warm custard mixture. Stir until melted. Strain and proceed as above. Replace the Huletts Castor Sugar with 100 g (½ cup) Huletts Caramel Sugar.