Description
This classic French crème brûlée pie combines silky custard with a caramelized sugar crust, delivering an elegant dessert perfect for special occasions. Delicate vanilla notes and crisp caramel topping create a luxurious experience you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 vanilla beans, insides scraped out
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
Instructions
- Pie Crust Preparation: Roll out chilled dough meticulously, draping it into the pie pan with precision. Trim edges elegantly and create a decorative crimp around the perimeter.
- Blind Baking: Shield crust with parchment paper, filling with pie weights. Roast in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, unveiling the weights during the final 5-8 minutes to develop a golden, crisp foundation.
- Custard Foundation: Gently heat cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan until the mixture reaches a fragrant, steaming point, releasing aromatic vanilla essence.
- Egg Tempering: Gradually whisk hot cream into egg yolks, maintaining constant motion to prevent curdling. Transform the mixture into a velvety, smooth custard with a luxurious sheen.
- Pie Assembly: Carefully pour the custard into the pre-baked shell, ensuring an even distribution. Eliminate surface bubbles with a delicate touch, creating a flawless custard landscape.
- Baking Process: Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) and bake for 35-45 minutes. Monitor the center’s subtle movement while the edges set firmly, indicating perfect custard consistency.
- Cooling and Setting: Rest the pie at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight, allowing the custard to achieve a sublime, silky texture.
- Caramelization Finale: Moments before serving, dust the surface with a gossamer layer of sugar. Employ a culinary torch to transform the sugar into a gleaming, amber-hued caramel crust that shatters dramatically when tapped.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate pie crust for at least 30 minutes before rolling to prevent shrinkage and ensure a flaky texture.
- Prevent Soggy Crust: Blind bake thoroughly to create a protective barrier that keeps the custard from making the bottom crust soft and mushy.
- Temper Eggs Carefully: Slowly incorporate hot cream into egg yolks while whisking constantly to avoid scrambling and achieve a silky smooth custard.
- Torch Technique Matters: Use a kitchen torch with steady, even motion to caramelize sugar, moving quickly to create a perfect golden-brown crust without burning.
- Prep Time: 45min
- Cook Time: 1hr
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 0.3 g
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 21 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg