Pistachio Crème Brûlée

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Place four 4-ounce ramekins in a large baking dish. Bring a kettle of water to a boil for the water bath.

In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, pistachio paste, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are light yellow and slightly thickened.

Slowly pour about half of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. This crucial step prevents the eggs from scrambling.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture. Whisk gently until everything is well combined.

Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or a large measuring cup with a spout. This ensures a perfectly smooth custard by removing any potential cooked egg bits.

Divide the strained custard evenly among the four prepared ramekins.

Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the baking dish around the ramekins, reaching about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This creates a gentle water bath.

Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight wobble when gently shaken.

Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Let the ramekins cool in the water bath for about 15 minutes, then remove them from the water bath and cool completely on a wire rack.

Once completely cool, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Just before serving, remove the chilled crème brûlées from the refrigerator. Blot any condensation from the top with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar evenly over the top of each custard.

Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it forms a dark amber, glassy crust. Work quickly and evenly to avoid burning the sugar or heating the custard too much.

Garnish each crème brûlée with a sprinkle of crushed roasted pistachios. Serve immediately, allowing guests to crack the caramelized sugar with a spoon for that satisfying crunch!