Luscious, creamy and incredibly easy to make this coffee crème brûlée only requires 4 ingredients. This easy make ahead dessert of coffee mixed through a thick baked custard, is the latte of your dreams.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
ramekins
kitchen blowtorch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F / 140C fan forced. Place 4 ramekins (notes 3) in a flat bottomed baking tray with high sides.
Place the sugar and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Heat, stirring every so often, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Once the cream is steaming, add the coffee and stir to dissolve (press any stubborn granules up against the side of the pan to dissolve).
Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale and thickened slightly.
Place the bowl of eggs on a damp tea towel as you won't be able to hold it, then, while stirring slowly with a whisk, drizzle the hot cream mixture slowly into the egg yolks. Make sure to pour slowly and continue stirring so the sudden heat doesn't scramble the eggs.
Strain the mixture into a pouring jug and skim any froth off the top, then pour evenly into the ramekins.
Now pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish, around the outside of the ramekins to halfway up their sides.
Very carefully place in the oven and bake for 30-50 minutes (notes 4) or until the edges look set and the centres have a bit of a jelly (jell-o) wobble.
Very carefully lift the ramekins out of the baking dish and set aside to cool for 15 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, cover the tops in about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, making sure no custard is showing. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise the sugar, then serve.
Notes
I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (=4 teaspoons).
Caster / superfine sugar (not powdered) is best as it will dissolve quicker. If you can only use regular white granulated sugar, just keep the heat a little lower so that it is mostly dissolved before it starts to bubble.
Ramekins: Different ramekins will required different baking times. See next note. Ramekins or jars should have at least ⅔ cup capacity.
Baking time: All ovens are different, the width or depth of the ramekins, how hot the custard was before you put it in the oven are all things that can affect baking time. I generally cook these in small jam jars for 45 minutes, then check every 5 minutes thereafter.
You'll know they are done, when you give them a gentle shake and they have a slight wobble in the centre but not like there is liquid under the surface - think jelly (jell-o).
Creme brulee can be made up to 2 days in advance without the brulee topping. Brulee them just before serving for best results or up to an hour before if you want to get ahead.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.