No-Torch Crème Brûlée

The simplest, easiest version of a simple, easy dessert — no butane torch or water bath required.

No-Torch, No Bath Crème Brûlée (recipe is for one portion, multiply as needed)

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
enough heavy cream to give you 1/2 cup liquid total (about 1/3 cup)
additional sugar
honey (or corn syrup, or golden syrup)

Mix egg yolk and sugar with a fork until smooth. Mix in the vanilla, then the cream. Pour into a 5 oz ramekin, bake at 250 F until consistency seems slightly gelatinous when tapped, about a 45 minutes. Cool and then chill.

For the topping, combine a tablespoon of sugar (per custard) with a few drops of water and a tiny squeeze of honey (or corn syrup or golden syrup) in your smallest pan. Turn heat on medium and cook until amber, swishing it around toward the end to make sure it cooks evenly. Pour just enough caramel to coat the top into the ramekin, and swirl it around to even it out. Let it set for a few minutes before you eat.