Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée may seem mysterious, but it is actually quite straightforward and simple. Just remember two things: One, like almost all custards, this one is done before it appears to be; remove it from the oven when it is still jiggly. And two, brûlée means “burnt,” not browned, it’s important that some of the topping blacken; the best tastes of campfire-toasted marshmallows.

Chefs, and many devoted home cooks, use a propane torch to melt and brown the sugar in the final step. If you