kitchentools cooking baking dessert bakeware cookware holiday giftguide Serves 4 2 cups of heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, split in half length-wise 1/8 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal salt 5 egg yolks 1/2 cup of coconut sugar Granulated sugar for the topping Tools Sauce pan Cutting board Knife Mixing bowl Whisk Ramekins Large baking dish Kitchen torch Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. On a cutting board, take a knife and split the vanilla bean in half length-wise and scrape the insides of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. 2. Turn the stove nob to the low setting and, in a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, vanilla seeds, vanilla bean and salt. 3. Stir the mixture together and let sit just until it’s hot. Then cut the heat. 4. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously until the mixture turns a paler yellow. Then add a 1/4 cup of the heavy cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk until well combined to temper the eggs. 5. Pour the egg and sugar mixture into the remaining heavy cream mixture in the saucepan. 6. Prep a large baking dish with the ramekins and enough hot water to submerge the ramekins half way. 7. Pour the custard into the ramekins and place in the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes. You’ll know when it’s ready by gently shaking the pan and seeing only the middle part of the custard jiggle slightly. 8. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, place the ramekins into the fridge for several hours (at least 6 hours). 9. Once the custard has set, remove from the fridge and top with a light coat of granulated sugar. Carefully, use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar. The trick is to move around quickly and not hover to closely to the sugar with the torch. Go over the same areas several times until you melt all the sugar into a golden brown color. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the sugar coat to harden. Most recipes call for granulated sugar in the custard, but we try to limit refined sugars in our home. You may add the granulated sugar in place of the coconut sugar. LTKHoliday LTKHome