Heat the whipping cream and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and sugar, just until combined and smooth
Once the cream is warmed, slowly add a small amount of it to the egg mixture and whisk in, repeat, then add all the cream in a slow, steady stream, while whisking, to bring the eggs up to temperature without scrambling
Once all the cream is added, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a simmer, mixing constantly. As soon as it starts to simmer slightly, remove from the heat
If you have lumps in your mixture, pass it through a sieve to remove, but if the custard looks smooth feel free to skip this step
Pour the custard into ramekins and place them in a baking tray so you can create a water bath
Pour hot water into the tray, being careful not to spill into the ramekins. The water should come up to about half-way up the height of the ramekins. TIP: It's much easier to do this once you have already put the tray on the rack in the oven so you are not trying to move the tray with water in it - just work quickly so the oven door isn't open for too long!
Bake for 35-50 minutes - this will depend on the depth of your ramekins. You'll know they are done when the edges are set but there is still a very distinct wobble in the middle
Remove from the oven and let sit in the water bath until they are cool enough to remove without burning your fingers. Place the ramekins in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours - the longer they have to set the better!
When you are ready to serve, sprinkle a generous amount of sugar all over the tops of the creme brulees, make sure there is no visible custard underneath
Use a blowtorch to 'brulee' the sugar, caramelising it until there is no white left. If you don't have a blowtorch you can do this under your oven broiler, just put it at the maximum heat and pay close attention to them while they are in the oven so they don't burn too much
Serve immediately after you have caramelised the sugar, part of the sensation of creme brulee is the mixture of cold custard and hot crunchy topping!