Creme Brulee

Approximate Time: 3 hrs 15 min (including prep, baking, and refrigeration time)
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (recipe follows)
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Bean
Ingredients
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

Directions
If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Bury bean in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as regular, granulated sugar.

*YUM, YUM, and did I say YUM!!! I am a HUGE fan of Creme Brulee, and I have always wanted to learn how to make it. I was quite surprised how simple it was and how much it tasted like any restaurant creme brulee I would order. I have 9 ramekins so I did 1 & 1/2 recipes. I only needed 7 but my next door neighbors let me borrow their chef's torch (to carmelize the top) so I took the extra 2 to them. You could actually stretch the recipe to 7 or 8 ramekins since it is quite alot for just 6. I love the fact that you can make it in advance also ( I made it before church and I pulled them out while we played a game to let them come up to room temperature and then torched it after the game). I highly recommend buying ramekins if you don't have them, I am constantly trying to find recipes to use in them so that they are worth having. Also, I found the vanilla beans at Costco. They come with quite a few but they last a really long time.