1 Pint whipping cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs. vanilla extract
additional granulated sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat cream over low heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick. (about three minutes) Gradually beat the cream into the egg yolk/sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla and pour mixture into six ounce, oven proof custard cups.
Place custard cups in a baking pan which has about one half inch water in the bottom. Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Remove custard cups from water and refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle each custard evenly, with about 2 tsp. of granulated sugar. Place on top rack of oven, under broiler and cook until topping is medium brown. Chill before serving.

North East Burnt Cream.

A nineteenth-century recipe which came from a country house in Aberdeenshire. Originally the custard was cooked in a pan rather than in the oven. Other recipes flavour the cream with a stick of cinnamon and some zest of orange. The sugar in this recipe is burnt on top, rather than mixed through the custard, to make a crisp crust which contrasts with the creamy texture of the custard. It is essential to use cream for at least half the quantity since the flavour of the custard depends so much on it.

4 eggs
Half pt milk (300 ml)
Half pt single or double cream (300 ml)
2 oz caster sugar (50 g)

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C or gas mark 4. Heat the cream and milk to blood heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl and pour in the heated milk and cream, beating well. Strain into a greased 2 pt (1 L) pie dish put into a dish with about 2" (5 cm) of water and bake for 35 minutes in a moderate oven. When set, remove from the oven and cover the top with a thick layer of caster sugar and brown under a hot grill. The sugar should form a brown crust about an eighth" (3 mm) thick.

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