Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and ⅓ cup granulated sugar. Use a whisk to beat together until the mixture becomes pale in color, about 1 minute. Set aside.
3. In a separate medium bowl, microwave the heavy cream in intervals of 15 seconds until it’s hot, but not boiling. Remove the cream from the microwave and stir in the vanilla extract.
4. While whisking the egg yolk mixture constantly, slowly stream in the hot cream. Whisk until completely combined.
5. Pour the mixture into five 6-ounce ramekins and place the ramekins into a baking pan (any pan size works as long as it’s bigger and taller than your ramekin). Create a water bath for your crème brûlée by placing boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Bake the creme brûlée until the center is just set and the custard jiggles slightly but does not feel soupy, 40 to 50 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for at least one 1 hour and up to 3 days (if chilling for more than a few hours, cover the tops of your ramekins tightly in plastic wrap).
7. When ready to serve, evenly sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. If you have a gas broiler, turn it on and let it pre-heat for a few minutes. Place your ramekin in the middle rack of your oven (and no higher than the top ⅓ of your oven) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a watchful eye on your creme brûlée, as it will go from golden to burned very quickly! Alternatively, if you’re using a kitchen torch, use it to melt the sugar by zigzagging back and forth until it bubbles and becomes golden brown in some parts. Dive in.