Crème Brûlée

Crack through the caramel, and memories flood in.
Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 40 mins + chilling

The Story

I made this for my daughter Uma’s 13th birthday. She wanted something “fancy but creamy,” and I thought back to a time when my dad took me to a French café in Adelaide. I was 10. The waiter brought out this unassuming dish—but then broke the sugar top with a spoon. That crackle stayed with me. This dessert, for me, represents surprise hidden in simplicity. Life can feel heavy, but cracking through the burnt sugar to find sweet softness beneath? That’s healing.

Ingredients

• 600ml thickened cream

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways (or 2 tsp vanilla paste)

• 5 egg yolks

• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar

• 2 tbsp demerara or raw sugar, for the topping

Method

Step 1: Infuse the cream
Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Place cream and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from heat. Set aside for 10 mins to infuse. Discard bean pod.

Step 2: Make the custard
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and thick (don’t overbeat). Slowly pour in the warm cream, whisking gently. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a jug.

Step 3: Bake gently
Pour into 4 x 180ml ramekins. Place ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35–40 mins or until just set but still wobbly in the centre.

Step 4: Chill
Remove from water bath. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Step 5: Torch and serve
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of demerara sugar on top of each custard. Use a kitchen blowtorch to melt and caramelise the sugar until golden and crisp. Let sit 1–2 mins before serving.

Tips for the Soul

• Don’t rush the chill time. It’s in the quiet moments that things set. Just like us.

• No blowtorch? Use your oven’s grill—but keep a close eye on it.