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Would you ever burn your food on purpose? It might sound strange, but that’s exactly what you should do if you make a French dessert called crème brûlée (pronounced like krem ​​broo-LAY). In French, that name literally means “burnt cream”!

To make crème brûlée, you start with cream, sugar, and eggs. They are mixed together and heated so that they create a thick custard. Some people add extra flavors to the custard, such as vanilla or orange. This custard is then poured into small bowls to cool off and harden slightly.

Later, you pour sugar on top of the custard. Then you burn the sugar to create a layer of crunchy caramel. Now your custard has a hard top, and it is officially crème brûlée.

There are two main ways to turn the sugar into caramel. The traditional way is to place it under the hot broiler of your oven. The modern way is to use a small gas torch. Be very careful if you decide to make crème brûlée this way!