Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

Creamy and fragrant earl grey custard under a crackly layer of caramelized sugar

📝 Ingredients

• 480 ml heavy whipping cream
• 4 earl grey tea bags
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 large whole egg
• 100 g granulated sugar + 50g for topping (divided)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. 2In a small pot, bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer. Once small bubbles start forming at the surface, stir in the tea bags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. After steeping, press the tea bags against the side of the pot or against a spoon to squeeze out all the tea-infused cream inside before discarding. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
3. 3In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until creamy.
4. 4With one hand constantly whisking vigorously, slowly stream in the earl grey cream into the eggs with your other hand to temper the eggs.
5. 5Fill your ceramic ramekins with this mixture. Dab a paper towel on any air bubbles on the surface to remove them. Place ramekins on a baking tray and place tray in the oven. Fill the tray with about 1/2" of hot water. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are set but middle is still jiggly or until the internal temperature of the crème brûlée reaches 170°F.
6. 6Let cool completely before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the custard to set.
7. 7Right before serving, sprinkle a generous, even layer of sugar on the surface of each crème brûlée. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Keep the flame moving across the surface, without staying in the same spot for too long. Let cool for a few minutes until the sugar has hardened. Enjoy right away or within 1 hour.