Crème Brûlée!

Step 1 - Pour in 2 cups heavy cream to a pot. I used 35% cream, you can use 18% if you want but it's not as good.

Step 2 - Cut the vanilla bean in half, then scrape off the seeds with a small knife. Put the seeds and the bean into the cream. Vanilla beans are kind of hard to find and expensive, if you couldn't get them, replace it by using Vanilla extract.

Step 3 - Heat the  vanilla cream mixture with medium low heat for about 4 minutes or until the cream turns a bit yellow. You don't want your cream to boil because cream is very easy to burn, specially the bottom of your pot, so make sure you keep stirring while you're heating it.

Step 4 - Strain your hot cream mixture. By that you can make your custard smoother and you can remove large chunks of vanilla seeds, beans or even egg shells. 

Step 5 - Separate 4 large eggs. In this recipe, you only need the yolks. Transfer the yolks to a large bowl, put in sugar and mix well.

Step 6 - Temper your egg yolks by adding a couple tablespoons of your hot cream mixture and give it a couple of stir. Then slowly pour in the rest of your hot cream mixture into the large bowl. The purpose of tempering the egg yolks is to prevent the hot cream mixture to cook the egg yolks, or else your egg yolks will solidify.

Step 7 - Use a butane torch to remove all the bubbles on the surface, the bubbles should be removed immediately like magic. Use a spoon to remove excess bubbles or foams.

Step 8 - Place your ramekins into an ovenproof container or a casserole. Carefully fill your ramekins, they should be filled almost to the top. Again, use the butane torch to remove the rest of the bubbles.

Step 9 - Fill your ovenproof container or casserole with boiling water, make sure you don't drip any water into the custard mixture. The water level should reach about half way through the ramekins.

Step 10 - Put them into a preheated 150C° oven for 25-30 minutes. When they're done, their consistency should be like jelly. After they are cooled enough to handle, take them out and let it sit for 30 minutes then put them into the fridge for at least one hour. You can serve them right away if you like your creme brulee hot.

Step 11 - Sprinkle brown sugar on top of your custard just enough to cover, use a butane torch to caramelize the sugar until it starts to bubble. You should purposely have some dark burnt spots, although it's bitter but it holds a lot of flavor. You should always do this step right before you serve them, because the caramelized sugar will melt and become soggy within 30 minutes. Enjoy:)

Ingredients:

2 cup  Heavy Cream ( I used 35%)

1 whole vanilla bean 

(or 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract)

4 to 8 tablespoon white granulated sugar (depends on how sweet you what) 

4 egg yolks

For the caramelized sugar (per serving):

2 teaspoon brown sugar or white granulated sugar