[onlycafe]

creme brulee.

six egg yolks
quart heavy cream
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
teaspoon vanilla extract, or a vanilla bean

scald cream and let cool.
whisk egg yolks and sugar together.
mix cream and egg mixture

at this point decide what flavor you like, i usually do either a coffee or a maple walnut. for coffee flavor i use a powdered instant espresso like medaglia d'oro. one or two tablespoons mixed into the egg/sugar with a little bit of cinnamon and a bit of rum.
for the maple walnut i cut back on the sugar and replace it with maple syrup and walnut extract from the local health food store. you can't hurt it by adding that rum too. i use a 160 proof austrian rum for most of my desserts.

pour into six ramikens or coffee cups, set cups into a water bath and place in a 350 degree oven and bake 45 minutes or more 'til bubbly and just barely set. remove and let cool. at this point they will sit happily covered in the fridge for a couple of days til you are ready to serve.

get your blowtorch and some granulated sugar. sprinkle about a teaspoon or so of sugar and spread with the back of a spoon 'til a uniform thin layer, light torch and caramelize sugar 'til bubbly and brown...not carbon black!

make sure you let these sit for at least three or four minutes before serving. when you can tap with a spoon and hear a glass like click, they are safe to serve. molten sugar=lawsuit.
enjoy.