La Fameuse Creme Brulee Du Cirque Au Cointreau

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 250F. Heat the heavy cream to just below the boiling point. Add the vanilla bean and the orange peel; cover and keep warm (I scrape out the beans, although the recipe does not specify this). Stir the sugar, egg yolks, and orange liqueur together just until blended - stir, do not beat and cause bubbles. Gradually stir in the hot cream and mix well to dissolve the sugar - again, stir rather than beat. Ladle the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into the ramekins (each 1/2 cup capacity, about 1 inch deep).

2. 2

   Slide the oven rack onto the middle level of the preheated oven. Arrange the molds in the baking pan, slide out the rack, and set the pan upon it. Very carefully pour enough boiling water around the molds to come halfway up the sides of them. Even more carefully - so as not to slosh water into the custards - slide the rack back into the oven. Bake about one hour or until the custards are set. Test by poking the tip of a paring knife 1 inch from the side of the mold into the custard. The knife should come out clean, but the custard should still tremble slightly - showing it is not overdone.

3. 3

   Shortly before serving, coat each with sugar and use blowtorch to make sugar crust.

4. 4

   Note that custards may be made several days in advance; cover and refrigerate. Create crust shortly before serving.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.