I’m offering a two-part series of recipes and tips for making the easiest and best custard and creme brulee, in the comfort of your own home. This four ingredient, pure and simple classic, has been a staple in my professional work for the last decade. The way that I typically make custard, calls for whole cow milk, and no vanilla or added flavorings – much like how I show you here. The best part is, you do not need any additional or professional tools to make the brulee happen, as I the top is “torched” and set, with the use of your oven on the broil setting.
You can see how the oven-torching comes together in my second creme brulee video on YouTube.
The custard is so beautiful. This simplicity and richness of flavor, takes me back to the custard that would fill desserts made by my aunt, Zia Maria. This woman’s kitchen was hardly ever not is use! I spent a lot of time in her home growing up, and ate so much of her food! There I was taught how to wash dishes, prepare meals, and to eat (whatever I wanted) to my hearts content, especially at our giant Italian family get-togethers. She would put custard (really similar to this recipe I’ve developed) into her most amazing cakes and cream puffs. It is funny to think that a flavor could remind me of these childhood joys. Good food will always be like a sanctuary for me, and continuing a legacy of passing down food traditions is definitely an extension of what I enjoy doing here, in my glorified hobby.
Ok, back to here and now. If you’re not feeling like turning your oven on to have creme brulee, this dessert chilled with some fresh berries on top, is amazing just the way it is. If you want to set it aside for filling cannoli, pastry or cakes, you can do that too!
If you’d like to visit my first post in this series, please take a look at my dairy-free creme brulee recipe, with the brulee created with the use of a handheld kitchen torch. Both recipes, can be switched out for any cow/alternative milk or cream, cream that has at least 12% total fat content. Both of these recipes completely skip the unnecessary task of baking in an oven water-bath, because your custard is completely cooked and we’re just looking to have an awesome sugar-top that can be crunched down and enjoyed for this most-loved dessert.
Here’s my pure and simple recipe for making classic custard with the use of whole cow milk.
oven torched creme brulee
Equipment
- hand held thermometer, pan, oven
Ingredients
for pure and simple custard
- 1 and 3/4 cups whole milk You can substitute with any milk or cream alternative that has at least 12% total fat content – as shown on the nutritional label.
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch If you are looking for a more firm custard to add into cannoli or cake fillings, add one more tablespoon of corn starch.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla optional. not necessary and I do not use it.
for oven-torched creme brulee
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Place as much as you need to completely cover each ramekin/container.
Instructions
pure and simple custard
- If you are deciding to use a milk other than whole milk for this recipe, please note that the achieve a custard, you'll want this main ingredient to have at least 12% total fat content.
- In a sauce pan, over medium heat, get milk to scalding – just before boiling – so that there are little bubbles along the edges, and steam is coming up. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine 6 egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch. Whisk. Pour cooled milk. Whisk together.
- Pour these combined ingredients back into the pan and put at medium heat. With a whisk and handheld thermometer, whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 180 degrees.
- Remove from heat and pour to cool into a bowl or ramekins – covered for 30 minutes and then chilled for two hours for your custard to completely set. You can enjoy this dessert as-is, or use your oven to torch for creme brulee.
oven torched creme brulee
- Preheat your oven to broil: 550 degrees. Place the ramekins/containers that have been filled and set with the completely-cooked custard, onto to a cookie sheet. Cover with granulated sugar.
- Place the cookie sheet at the top rack of your oven.
- Be present to check the brulee that is happening at the top. This is after one minute.
- The cooking to burn/torch/brulee the sugar at the top should be complete in about three minutes. Allow to cool out at room temperature for at least another three minutes, because this is how long it will take for the top to harden and set. Using the oven is a super easy and great option for making creme brulee, if you do not have a hand-held kitchen torch. Compared to a brulee made with a torch, the only compromise is that the custard is being re-heated in the oven to get the sugar on top to burn. The custard inside still maintains it's form, but will be slightly broken down.
Video
I’m so happy to share these details with you, as there really is no easier or better way to make or enjoy my best creme brulee recipe, than with what I’ve shared with you here, to make at home.
Take care,
