Since I've never had or made crème brûlé before, I thought that using maple would be a guaranteed success for a first try and I was right! Using not only maple syrup but maple sugar both in the custard and as the toping brings the maple flavour to a new level!

Yields 6 ramequins

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp white sugar ( For topping)
2 tbsp maple sugar (For topping)

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F and bring water to a boil.
  2. Combine the heavy cream, maple syrup, white and maple sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. The texture will be thicker when ready.
  3. In the meantime, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer at high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. Incorporate the salt and vanilla and combine.
  4. Add 1/8 of a cup of the cream into the egg mixture and mix quickly to even the temperatures between the cream and eggs. Repeat this two more times and mix well after each addition. Add the rest of the cream and combine.
  5. Pour the mixture equally in 6 ramequins and place them in a baking dish. Place the baking dish with the filled ramekins on oven rack and then pour the hot water into the baking dish, careful not to get any water into the ramekins.
  6. Bake for 40-50 minutes until set. They will be jiggly in the centre but not liquidy.
  7. Take the ramequins out of the oven and let cool down at room temperature. Place in the fridge once they are just warm and let them rest 8 to 24 hours in the fridge.
  8. When you are ready to serve, combine both sugars in a small bowl, sprinkle the mix on top and slowly caramelize with a blow torch until the sugar is evenly golden and bubbly.