- 9-10 egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 l heavy cream
- vanilla bean
- sugar, to taste, for topping
- optional: nuts, fruit, for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (150 degrees C). Prepare individual serving dishes (ramekins) and a large baking dish. The baking dish can be anything that is oven safe, fits all your ramekins and is at least 2/3 the height of serving dishes.
Pour cream into a saucepan, add the vanilla bean and stir over low heat or in a microwave until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately.
Beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
Pour a little of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture and whisk briskly, then pour the cream/yolk mixture into the rest of the cream and whisk. Remove the vanilla bean. If adding any other flavouring, now is the time to do that.
Thick white foam usually forms on top of the mixture. Carefully spoon it out as it would simply burn if left on while baking.
Pour the hot mixture into ramekins and place in a baking dish. If any large bubbles form on the surface as a result of pouring, you can use a torch to quickly put them out. Like foam, they may burn in the oven if left on. Set the dish with the ramekins in it on your oven shelf, then pour hot water in the dish so the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-30 minutes. They are done when you shake the dish gently and the brulees jiggle just slightly in the middle, like gelatine. Remove from oven and cool.
Just before serving, sprinkle the tops with white or brown granulated sugar (about 1 spoon per dish). Place under broiler till caramelized or use a propane torch to burn the tops. Cover with nuts of your choice if desired. Serve immediately.