OLD CLASSSIC - Creme Brulee

It amazes me how a dessert can seem so fancy and cost quite alot in restaurants but could be so cheap to buy the ingredients and relatively easy to make at home with some practice

So here goes to a dessert that is one of my all time favorites :) it makes me happy just thinking about it!!


INGREDIENTS
1 tub/cup (250ml) cream
1 cup (250ml) milk (full cream)
4 eggs (3 whole and 1 egg yolk)
60 ml (4 tablespoons) sugar or agave or xylitol
1 vanilla pod or 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

METHOD
1) in a small saucepan put the milk, cream and seeds of a vanilla pod and the stick (or essence) into the pot. (slit the vanilla pod all the way down and then scrape out the seeds with the back of a teaspoon). Slowly bring to the boil - just before it boils over is bubbling remove from stove top.

2) in a bowl/jug mix together the 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk and the xylitol or sugar or agave - which ever you are using.
3) pour the boiled milk/cream into the egg mixture slowly while stirring quickly the entire time
4) pour into ramekins or tea cups.
5) place the cups in an oven proof dish with boiling water half way up the outsides of the cups/ramekins and place in the oven of 160 degrees celcius
6) bake for 15 - 20 min and remove from oven when there is a set layer on top of the mixture when you tilt  the custard -it ripples or moves a bit from underneath the milk skin

let it cool then place in the fridge for a minimum of 2-3 hours
they can be kept in the fridge covered for 3 or 4 days

take out and sprinkle castor sugar on top and caramelise with a chefs blow torch or put under the grill of the oven but watch CAREFULLY as it will burn very easily