Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Crème brûlée is a sophisticated and elegant dessert, yet simple to make. Its base is a silky, set custard, topped with a crispy crust of toasted sugar, which can be created using a propane torch or in the oven on broiler mode. This recipe adds dark maple syrup to the crème brûlée. Its flavor and aroma unfold beautifully against the vanilla cream and caramel crust, so it's important to use a natural product.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped out (keep the pod)
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup (category A; dark)
• 2 tbsp sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 0.5 tsp maple extract
• A pinch of salt

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

eggs, cream, maple syrup, vanilla pod, maple extract

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Preheat oven to 160°C. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and pod, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes; remove the vanilla pod.
Step 2
• Prepare the custard:
  
  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, maple syrup, sugar, maple extract, and salt until smooth. Gradually add 1/2 cup hot vanilla cream, whisking constantly until smooth. Stir in another 1/2 cup cream, then fold in the remaining mixture. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup.
Step 3
• Place four 180ml (6 fl oz) ramekins in a large roasting pan; pour the custard into the molds. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water comes halfway up the molds. Cover the roasting pan with foil and carefully place it in the oven. Bake until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 4
• Remove the foil and the molds from the water bath. Place them on a baking sheet and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the custard until completely cool and set, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 5
• Working with one portion at a time, sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar over the custard and toast it with a kitchen torch, moving the flame back and forth over the sugar until it's completely melted. Let it set, about 5 minutes.

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