PORTLAND, Maine —
Salted Caramel Crème Brûlée
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup salted caramel sauce (recipe to follow)
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a large bowl mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. Slowly add in the cream to the eggs. Add in the salted caramel to your hot mixture and whisk around until your caramel is completely melted into your egg/cream mixture. Pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
- Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins, taller ramekins will need to cook longer whereas shallow ramekins will cook quicker), until the custards are set when gently shaken. Immediately remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
- To serve, evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and place under a broiler until the sugar caramelizes (as an alternate, you can also brown the tops with a kitchen blowtorch). Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens. Crack and enjoy!
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
Makes 1 cup
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon of salt
- Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
- Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. A whisk helps if you find the butter is separating from the sugar.
- Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.