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White Chocolate Crème Brûlée
The 17th century French custard with a 21st century twist. Melted white chocolate folded through the egg-yolk-and-cream base before it sets. The sugar gets blowtorched at the table, the spoon cracks through, and everyone goes quiet.
Total time
60 minutes plus overnight chill
Serves
6
Difficulty
Moderate
Origin
France, the brûlée tradition
"The trick is not in the custard but in the burn. A pale brûlée tastes flat. A dark one bitters the cream. The colour to aim for is the chestnut shell, no lighter, no darker.
"François Massialot · 1691
The single biggest failure mode is the water bath running dry. The custards must sit in 2 cm of hot water in the tray throughout the bake or the edges curdle and the centres stay raw. Top up halfway if needed.
