Blackberry Crème Brûlée

Makes 4 ramekins or you can make it in one large dish

Preheat the oven to 170C, 150C Fan, 325F, Gas 3

Heat the cream in a saucepan until hot, but not boiling.

In a separate bowl, briefly whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and evenly combined.

Now add the hot cream to the egg mixture, a third at a time, whisking briefly after each addition. Remove any of the frothy mixture from the surface of the custard with a spoon.

Divide the custard between 4 oven-proof ramekins and add 3 blackberries to each dish.

Place the ramekins in a deep baking tray and fill the tray with hot kettle water until the water reaches ¾ of the way up the ramekins.

Tip! It may be easier to put the tray on the oven shelf first before filling with water!

Bake for 30-45 minutes, but keep in mind that the time will vary according to the size and depth of the ramekins being used. You are looking for the custard to appear to be set but still retain a bit of a wobble when you shake them gently.

Remove the whole tray from the oven carefully. Take out the ramekins and leave to cool before refrigerating for 2 hours before serving. Once cooled, they can be wrapped in clingfilm and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Just before serving, sprinkle the tops of each custard with approximately 1 tsp of sugar. Smooth the sugar evenly on top with the back of a spoon. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar or put under a hot grill, taking good care not to burn the sugar.