Lemon Basil Crème Brûlée
1 quart heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
1 cup bakers sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
1 bunch of fresh basil
Zest of 2 lemons
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, lemon zest, basil, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 25 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use. Strain the cream to remove the basil leaves and lemon zest. Reheat the cream until quite warm.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.