These are a very slight adaptation from the New York Times recipe.

The changes I made:

• Use smaller ramekins, because it’s incredibly rich.
• Keep it in the oven for a little bit longer.
• Use a blowtorch rather than an oven to melt the sugar.

Meta

Time: 1 hour to cook, a couple of hours to cool

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, more for topping

Method

• Heat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
• Combine cream, vanilla bean and salt into a saucepan. Cook over low until just hot, and then discard the vanilla bean.
• Beat yolks and sugar together using a stand mixer until the mixture is light in texture.
• Slowly stir the cream mixture into the yolks, allowing it to mix thoroughly before you add any more. You don’t want the yolks to cook from the cream.
• Fill a baking dish up with boiling water, until it goes about halfway up one of your ramekins.
• Pour the mixture into ramekins, placing them in the water.
• Bake for ~40 minutes, or until the center is barely set.
• Put them in the fridge to cool for a few hours.
• When ready to serve, put some more sugar on top and burn with a blowtorch.

Notes

• The original recipe called for four 6 ounce ramekins, I did six 4 ounce ramekins instead. The vanilla bean makes for such a rich dessert that you’re definitely feeling overwhelmed by the end of a small one.