Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place ramekins in a baking pan.

Heat the Cream: In a saucepan, heat heavy cream, sugar, and salt over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is just simmering. Remove from heat.

Whisk Yolks: In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks until lightly pale.

Temper Eggs: Slowly drizzle hot cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Continue adding the hot cream in a thin stream until incorporated.

Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract (or vanilla bean seeds).

Strain Custard: Pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug or bowl.

Pour into Ramekins: Carefully pour custard into ramekins.

Bake in Water Bath: Pour hot water into the baking pan, halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake: Bake for 30-40 minutes, until custards are set around the edges, but still slightly jiggly in the center.

Cool Down: Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature for an hour. Then, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Caramelize Sugar: Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over each chilled custard.

Torch Sugar: Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it's dark amber and brittle.

Serve: Serve immediately after torching.