Custard ingredients
1pt dbl cream
4 tbl spoon caster sugar
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla paste or 2 pods vanilla
Topping
Dusting of sugar (icing or caster)
This is the classic way to make a creme brulee. Make a cream, vanilla custard. For a custard, you boil the cream first, then pour it onto the eggs already mixed with sugar and vanilla. This mixture then goes back into the pan and is heated until it starts to thicken. Don’t boil it as it will scramble. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Immediately take it off the heat and pour into the ramekins. If you are slow at this point you end up with sweet scrambled eggs. If you want to go the extra mile, pour it into the ramekins through a sieve to ensure there are no lumps. Again the more you make it the easier it becomes to judge. Set in the fridge, sprinkle sugar on the top using a sieve and seal with a blow torch. Icing sugar gives a thinner crust, but it is up to you. If you want to experiment, add fruit in the bottom of the ramekins. Blackcurrants are my favourite, but raspberries and blueberries work well. You can also flavour the custard with orange blosom water, lavender or others. Don’t overdo the flavours, they should always be subtle.