Brandy Creme Brulee - heavy cream

Method

• Preheat the oven to 300F.
• Place eight 6-ounce ramekin or creme brulee dishes in a larger baking pan.
• Heat a kettle of water.
• Pour the cream into a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla bean, with the scrapings.
• Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Whisk 1/4 cup of sugar into the egg yolks until well mixed.
• Gently whisk the cream into the yolks, add the Herbsaint and brandy, then strain through a fine sieve.
• I actually prefer to fill the ramekins and water bath when the pan is already in the oven, so I dont spill either when I move them.
• Place the pan with the ramekins on the middle rack of the oven with the door open, and use a ladle to fill the ramekins with the custard.
• Carefully pour hot water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins, cover the pan with foil, then gently slide the oven rack into the oven.
• Bake the custards for about 40 minutes, rotating once.
• It is a good idea to take a peek after about 25 minutes and make sure they are not cooking too fast (in which case they would look overly dry and shriveled).
• This is especially good to do if you are using the shallow, wide variety of creme brulee dishes.
• Custard is done when its just barely set and jiggles when you move the ramekin.
• Remove them from the oven, uncover, let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate.
• The custards should be chilled for about 2 hours before caramelizing with the sugar.
• Sprinkle the tops of the custards with a thin layer of sugar and brown under a broiler or with a butane torch held 46 inches from the surface.
• When the sugar starts to bubble and brown, sprinkle lightly with another layer of sugar and brown the second layer.
• Youll use about 1/2 cup of sugar in all.
• For the most crackly top, serve within 10 minutes of caramelizing.