Sugar-crusted Crème Brûlée Custard

CREME BRULEE

SERVINGS: 6 SERVE WITH: A cup of hot coffee CHOCOLATE VARIATION: Omit vanilla bean, grate 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate into saucepan when heating half and half.

1/2 vanilla bean 2 cups half and half 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 12 tsp turbinado sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees.* Place 6 ramekins in a roasting pan. Slit open vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. Place seeds in a saucepan with half and half. Heat until bubbles appear at the edge of pan. Remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Whisk a small amount of warm half and half into egg mixture. Whisk egg mixture back into half and half in saucepan. Return to heat and cook 8 min. until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Divide mixture among ramekins. Place pan in oven. Pour hot water halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake 22 min. or until custard is set but still jiggly in centers. Remove ramekins from pan, cool. Refrigerate until serving. TO SERVE---Remove ramekins from refrigerator. Heat broiler.* Sprinkle each ramekin with 2 tsp turbinado sugar. Run under broiler 3 min. Do not burn sugar. Cool slightly and serve. *

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 * Catsrecipes Y-Group