• Don’t be intimidated! Making your own crème brûlée from scratch isn’t difficult, and making Irish coffee crème brûlée is both easy and delicious. The rich coffee flavour works perfectly with creamy custard, and there’s nothing more satisfying than that first crack as you dive through the hard sugar.

    Irish coffee crème brûlée

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 1 hr + 20 mins to chill

    Ingredients

    • 500ml (2 cups) double thick fresh cream
    • 2 vanilla pods
    • 150g (¾ cup) light brown sugar
    • 6 egg yolks
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) Irish cream liqueur (optional)
    • 5ml (1 tsp) coffee extract (no more!)
    • 85g castor sugar
    • coffee beans, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 4 ramekins.

    2

    Scald the cream with the vanilla pods.

    3

    Beat the sugar with the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Strain the warm cream into the egg mixture.

    4

    Add the liqueur and the coffee extract.

    5

    Divide the mixture between the ramekins and place in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish with about 4cm of cold water. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

    6

    Remove from oven – don’t worry if the mixture is still wobbly as it will set. Refrigerate overnight if possible or for a minimum of 4 hours.

    7

    To make the caramel, gently heat the castor sugar in a pan over medium heat until it caramelises. Don’t stir. Pour caramel over each brûlée and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 20 minutes and sprinkle with coffee beans to serve.