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We visited Aida Mollenkamp, host of Ask Aida, at home in San Francisco to learn how to make her go-to party dessert.
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Prepare the vanilla: Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a paring knife.
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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
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Infuse the cream: Bring the cream, half-and-half and vanilla seeds and pod to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Reduce the heat to low and simmer to infuse the cream with the vanilla, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Discard the vanilla pod.
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Remove the cream mixture from the heat and cool slightly.
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Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil.
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Make the custard.
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Whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale yellow and thick; it should leave a trail when you lift the whisk.
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Pour in the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
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Skim off any foam or bubbles from the surface.
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Pour into ramekins: Arrange eight 6-ounce ramekins in a roasting pan and divide the custard evenly among them.
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Bake in a water bath: Pull out the oven rack slightly, place the roasting pan on it and pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
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Bake until the custards are just set in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.
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Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and transfer to the refrigerator.
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Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
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Prepare the topping: About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each custard.
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Tilt the ramekins to evenly distribute the sugar and tap out any excess.
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Caramelize the sugar: Holding a kitchen torch about three inches away, burn the sugar until it turns a deep amber.
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Refrigerate the creme brulees just until the crust hardens, 30 minutes to 1 hour, but not longer (the topping may start to soften).
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Serve cold.
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Photographs by James Carriere
