The French, Spanish and English all claim this dessert as their invention. However the earliest printed recipe come from a French cook book in 1691, Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois, written by François Massialot. Enjoy this “French” creation.
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp castor sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
For the topping
6 tbsp castor sugar
Whisk the egg yolks and castor sugar together until mixture becomes creamy and pale yellow in colour.
Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod by slicing the vanilla pod open and scraping the seeds out of the pod.
Heat the cream and vanilla seed (or vanilla extract) in a saucepan over a medium heat until the cream starts bubbling around the edges. Slowly add the hot cream in small quantities to the egg mixture, whisking the mixture all the time.
The mixture will thicken slightly, keep whisking.
Pour mixture into six ramekins and place each of them into a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan. The water should cover at least two-thirds of the ramekins.
Bake at 160ºC for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Place in the refrigerator for one hour.
When ready to serve, sprinkle a generous layer of castor sugar over the top of the dessert.
Hold the blow torch just above the sugar and keep moving it to caramelise the sugar.
Allow to stand for five minutes before serving.