Crème Brulee Recipe

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine the cream, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the vanilla bean and its seeds, and the cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium flame. Transfer the hot cream to a glass measuring cup. Prepare an ice bath in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl (one that fits into the ice bath), lightly beat the egg yolks with a whisk. Slowly add the hot cream to the yolks in a steady stream, whisking all the while. Cool the bowl in the ice bath until the custard reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes. Fill 6 ramekins nearly to the top with the custard, and place them in a large pan or casserole. Fill the pan with warm water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until the custard is set and firm when the ramekins are jiggled. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Prior to serving, preheat the oven to 250°F. Combine the brown sugar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Dry the sugar mixture in the oven for 15 minutes and then mix in a food processor. Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the sugar mixture over each custard, reaching to the rims. Brown the tops with a kitchen blowtorch, or slide under a broiler for 2 minutes until the sugar bubbles. Sprinkle another teaspoon of the sugar mixture over each custard and brown again. Serve immediately. Serves 6