Lemon Creme Brulee

Prep Time: 15 mins  | Cook Time: 40 mins | Course: Dessert | Yield: 5 

A lovely lemony baked custard with a bruleed sugar top. Creme brulee is always a crowd pleaser.

2 cups cream

Zest of 2 lemons

½ cup sugar, divided

Pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

½ tsp lemon extract

½ tsp vanilla paste

Preheat oven to 300*. Bring cream, lemon zest, ¼ cup sugar and salt to a near boil in a medium sized saucepan. Beat egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a mixing bowl, pour hot milk into the yolks while whisking one ladleful at a time (about half the mixture) . Return to the pot and cook until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon. When you can draw a line on the back of the wooden spoon with your finger and it doesn’t disappear your custard is ready. Take off the heat and add in the lemon extract and vanilla paste. Pour ½ cup custard into 5 four ounce ramekins and place into a 9.13 baking dish. Pour warm water into the baking dish that comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes. Let custards cool at room temperature. When ready to serve, sprinkle ramekins with 1 Tbsp sugar, brulee the sugar using a kitchen torch until a lovely browned and glass like top is achieved.