.ahh. . . crème brûlée.

It is another case of blogger meets French cuisine today. No, I will not be tackling the recipe for bœuf bourguignon as Julie Powell has done. Rather, I'm going to cater to a much sweeter appetite. The image of Audrey Tautou's character Amélie, with teaspoon in hand, delightfully breaking the caramelized top of a crème brûlée, vividly comes to mind. And so, I bring to you today a very simple, yet oh so decadent, recipe for this creamy French dessert. Bon Appètit!

Crème Brûlée

8 egg yolks

1/3 c. granulated white sugar

2 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 c. granulated white sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Preheat oven to 300˚F. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add cream and vanilla, and continue to whisk until well blended. Strain into a large bowl, skimming off any foam or bubbles. Divide mixture among 6 ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in a water bath (large pan filled with 1 or 2 inches of hot water) and bake until set around the edges, but still loose in the center (about 50 to 60 minutes). Remove from oven and leave in the water bath until cooled. Remove cups from water bath and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard. For best results, use a small, hand-held torch to melt sugar. If you don't have a torch, place under the broiler until sugar melts. Re-chill custards for a few minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Recipe courtesy of CremeBrulee.com

For the adventurous, java lovin' types, try this recipe.