For Custard

* 2 cups whipping cream
* 1/2 cup sugar- turbinado, demerara, muscovado, whatever.
* 1 vanilla bean. Seriously, not extract, bean. Soft and squishy preferred.
* 5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brûlée

* white sugar

You’ll need:

* Cheesecloth
* Baking pan
* Aforementioned ramekins
* Propane torch

Quick instructions:

Put the whipping cream and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, spread it out and use a paring knife to scrape out the innards into the saucepan, then throw the rest in.

Preheat oven to 325.

Separate 5 eggs, keeping the yolk. Try to get rid of as much non-yolk as possible. Use a vigorous whisk get the yolks a bit fluffy.

Throw the cream on medium heat. Cook the cream, stirring nearly constantly for a minimum of 10 minutes. Let it scald at some point. When it’s cooked up, pour it through cheesecloth to filter, into something that pours well.

Boil some water. Arrange the ramekins in a baking pan.

Pour cream into the egg yolks in a very slow drizzle while continuing to whisk. After most of the cream is in you can pour slightly faster, but keep it blended and frothy.

Pour mixture into the ramekins, and fill the baking dish with the boiling water, taking care to not get any water in the ramekins. Put it in the oven, back 30-35 minutes until just the center of the custard shakes a little if you shake the dish.

Pull them out and cool them in the fridge for three hours – two days.

When they are firmed up and cool, put the ramekin on a plate to catch sugar and spoon an even coat over the top. Burn sugar to desired brown, put back in the fridge for 15 minutes at least, but not more than an hour. (It’s possible to firm up gone-soft sugar with more fire, but not recommended)

Eat.