Coastal Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

• 2 cups Heavy cream
• 1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 tbsp high-quality vanilla bean paste)
• 5 Large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup Granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp Salted Perfection French Vanilla Finishing Salt, divided
• 4 tbsp Superfine sugar (for the caramelized top)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and arrange four 6-ounce ramekins in a deep baking dish.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a medium saucepan. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the cream and toss in the pod too. Heat over medium heat just until it starts to simmer—do not let it fully boil. Remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes to infuse that flavor.
3. While the cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened.
4. Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly drizzle the warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs without scrambling them.
5. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the Salted Perfection French Vanilla Finishing Salt to balance the sweetness inside the custard.
6. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or pitcher to ensure it is perfectly smooth.
7. Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (a water bath).
8. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The centers should still have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan, like gelatin.
9. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) until fully set.
10. When ready to serve, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar evenly over the top of each custard.
11. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until it turns a deep amber and forms a hard crust. If you do not have a torch, you can broil them briefly, but watch them like a hawk.
12. Allow the sugar to harden for a minute, then finish by sprinkling the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of Salted Perfection French Vanilla Finishing Salt over the caramelized tops for that perfect sweet-salty crunch.
13. DUNZO!