Ingredients
1/4 c. granulated sugar, divided, plus more for serving
Zest of 1 small orange
Zest of 1 lemon
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. whole milk
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 Earl Grey tea bags, cut open (optional)
3 large egg yolks (50 g.)
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 325°. In a medium heatproof mixing bowl, rub 2 tablespoons sugar with zests until sugar takes on an orange hue. Step 2In a small sauce pan over medium heat, bring cream, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, loose tea, if using, and salt up to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.Step 3Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water up to a boil. Add yolks to bowl with sugar and whisk vigorously until smooth, shiny, and slightly lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Step 4While whisking, slowly pour in about ¼ cup hot cream mixture until well combined. Slowly whisk in remaining cream until fully combined. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Place two 6-ounce ramekins in a small baking dish, or, preferably, place each ramekin into individual round baking dishes. Divide cream mixture equally between ramekins. Step 5Place baking dish in oven and slowly fill dish with enough boiling water to come up halfway up the ramekins, being careful to not splash any water into the ramekins.Step 6Bake until custard is mostly set but still quivers uniformly when ramekin is jiggled, about 35 minutes. (If using shallower, wider ramekins, only bake for 25 minutes.)Step 7Carefully remove baking dish from oven, being very careful to not let water splash into the ramekins. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove ramekins from water bath. Let cool to room temperature and transfer to refrigerator to chill until fully set, at least 1 hour 30 minutes.Step 8When ready to serve, dust each ramekin evenly with 1 teaspoon sugar. Use a torch to gradually melt and caramelize sugar.
We upped the ante with a flavorful twist on the classic: the addition of Earl Grey tea and citrus zests adds much more depth and an aromatic bitterness to the mix. If you prefer to have a classic vanilla crème brûlée, simply skip the citrus zest and tea situation and use either half a vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped, simmered with the cream mixture then strained out) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (added once cream mixture is removed from heat). Never made this jaw-dropping dessert? Follow our recipe to a T and you won’t have to worry about curdling your eggs or sloshing water into any of the baked custards. What is crème brûlée? Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert combining a custard, almost pudding-like base with a caramelized sugar crust top. One of the best (and most famous) aspects of this dish is the contrast between the cold, custard filling and the warm, crisp topping. After chilling the custard in the fridge, the caramelized topping is created by sprinkling each ramekin with sugar before torching. The last step is the best step: After your crust is created, grab a spoon and crack! Your sweet custard is revealed for creamy, sugary goodness in every bite. Can I make crème brûlée ahead of time? If you want to make this dish ahead of time, simply prepare your baked custards until step 7. Place in the fridge for up to 4 days, then when you’re ready to serve, top with your sugar topping and get to torching! If you’ve made this recipe, let us know how it went in the comments below!
