Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée is a rich baked custard of cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, chilled until set. Just before serving, a thin layer of sugar is scattered on top and caramelised with a flame until it forms a brittle amber glass.

The pleasure is textural: the sharp crack of the burnt-sugar crust giving way to the cool, silky custard beneath. It is traditionally served in a shallow ramekin so every spoonful catches both layers.

Recipes for a burnt-cream dessert appear in France as early as the late seventeenth century, in François Massialot's 1691 cookbook. Similar dishes exist across Europe, including Catalan crema catalana and the English 'burnt cream' of Trinity College, Cambridge.

The modern crème brûlée became a restaurant icon in the twentieth century, prized because the caramel top is finished à la minute, keeping the crust crisp against the chilled custard.