Crème Brulee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 8 x egg yolks
• 1 x egg
• coarse raw sugar for sprinkling

Pour the sugar into a neat pile in the center of the bottom of a saucepot. Pour the water around the outside of the sugar pile, and without stirring, begin warming the pot over medium high heat. As the water warms and dissolves with the sugar, a simple syrup will form. As it simmers, the water will evaporate, leaving behind pure sugar syrup. That syrups temperature will then begin rising slowly and the sugar will begin to brown. When it does, begin gently swirling the pot to ensure an even golden brown color.
When the syrup turns a deep golden brown; pour in the cream. It will spatter so be careful. It will also cool the hot caramel, hardening it. Stir in the milk until they combine and melt the now-hardened caramel. When they have become a smooth simmering broth, turn off the heat and season with the vanilla and salt. Taste!
In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and whole egg together until smooth then gradually begin whisking in spoonfuls of the hot caramel cream. Continue until the eggs have dissolved and warmed gradually into several cups of the mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the remaining cream and pour the works into a clean container and refrigerate overnight.
Bring a large pot or kettle of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Evenly ladle six to eight ounces of the now thickened mix into ramekins or any shallow baking dish. Place the individual dishes into a larger roasting or baking pan. Place the works on the middle shelf of the oven and pour in boiling water until the water level on the outside of the containers is about equal to the cream inside. Bake until the mixture sets into a firm custard, about thirty to forty-five minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them throughout. You’ll know there done when you wiggle them and they seem set. Remove from the oven and cool until set.
Blot any surface moisture from the custards then pour a half-cup or so of sugar onto one of them. Swirl it around and pour it off onto the next tapping it gently and leaving behind a thin crust. Continue with remaining custards and sugar.
Power up a blowtorch and caramelize the surface sugar by holding the flame near it and moving it in even patterns until the surface turns golden. Turn off the torch and enjoy!

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