Espresso Crème Brûlée

Cook Time 45 minutes (+ overnight cooling)

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

6 egg yolks
240g caster sugar
600ml pouring cream
60ml freshly brewed espresso, cooled to room temperature
Pinch of salt flakes

Method

Preheat the oven to 140°C (ideally top and bottom elements, no fan).

Whisk the egg yolks together with 6 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl until just combined.

Heat the cream in a saucepan along with espresso over medium–high heat until boiling. Pour into the egg mixture and whisk constantly to combine, then add the salt.

Place 6 x 150ml ramekins or oven-safe cups in a large, deep baking tray. Fill the tray with warm water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Fill the ramekins with the espresso custard, cover the tray tightly with foil and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 25–35 minutes until the custards have a slight jiggle in the centre. Allow the custards to cool, uncovered, in the tray. Transfer the ramekins to the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, evenly sprinkle the tops of each custard pot with the remaining caster sugar. Place each ramekin on a small plate and caramelise the sugar with a blowtorch, rotating the plate to evenly cook the caramel on the surface of the brûlée.