Simple and elegant custard that presents well.

3 3/4 cups Heavy Cream

1 cup Milk

1 Vanilla Bean

3/4 cup Sugar + 2 Tbsp

9 Egg Yolks

1.  Place heavy cream, milk and 7 Tablespoons of sugar into a saucepan.  Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into milk along with pod.  Bring to a simmer and set aside.

2.  Whisk egg with remaining sugar.  Temper eggs with cream.  Slowly add a tablespoon of cream to eggs while whisking.  This will bring the temperature of the eggs up without scrambling.  Be sure to do this slowly.  Once you’ve added about equal portion of the cream to the egg, you can pour the remaining cream into the eggs.  Mix well.

3.  Place a strainer over a pitcher and slowly strain the custard to remove the pod and any egg that may have been scrambled.

4.  Preheat oven to 300F.  Prepare a bath for the ramekins.  Place ramekins into a baking pan.  Fill with hot water to cover half the ramekins.  Pour custard into the ramekins.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or till custard is set.

5.  Cool completely, wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  (I like to make these ahead of time for parties and we usually keep them individually wrapped up to 5 days for the restaurant.)

6. Prior to service, use about two packets of raw sugar and sprinkle evenly over the custard.  Use a torch on low setting and in circular motion starting the outside flambe sugar evenly.  You can garnish with fruit.

**Use saran wrap to remove bubbles from custard prior to baking to have even surface.**.