1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup sugar (plus sugar for caramelizing)
3 egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300°. Set a small pot of water to boil.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and ⅓ cup sugar. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around edge of pan. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. Gradually pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, beating continuously until well blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide mixture evenly between 4 small ramekins.
Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Carefully pour boiling water into pan until water reaches halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil.
Bake at 300° for about 25 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven and chill ramekins for 2-3 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle sugar evenly over top of cooled ramekins. Using a kitchen mini-torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins in a circular motion until the the sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly. Return to refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.
