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Valentine's Day: Vanilla Pots de Crème

Source of Recipe


Mark Bittman



List of Ingredients



• 2 cups heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half
  
• 2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 6 egg yolks
  
• ½ cup sugar
  






Instructions



1. Heat oven to 300° F.
   Pour cream into a small saucepan. Split vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into cream. Put pod in cream, too. Heat cream until steam rises. Cover pan, turn off heat, and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. If using vanilla extract, just heat cream and let it cool while you proceed.
   
   
2. Beat yolks and sugar together until light. Pour about a quarter of the cream (remove vanilla bean pod) into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. If you are using vanilla extract, add it now and stir.
   
   
3. Pour mixture into four 6-ounce ramekins and place the ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with water halfway up the side of dishes. Cover with foil. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until center is barely set. (Heavy cream sets fastest, half-and-half more slowly.) Chill, then serve.
   
   Makes 4 servings.