Truly the queen of custards, famous for the incomparable thrill of breaking its burnt sugar crust with a spoon.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Prepare the custard base for Vanilla Pots de Crème, using 2 cups heavy cream instead of milk or half-and-half. Pour into four 6-ounce or six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins. Set the custards in a deep pan large enough to accommodate them without touching each other or the sides of the pan. Set the pan on a pulled-out oven rack and add enough scalding-hot tap water to come one-half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the custards. Bake until the custards are set but still slightly quivery in the center when gently shaken, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover each one and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days. Shortly before serving, uncover the custards and gently blot any liquid that has formed on the surface with a paper towel. Sprinkle each of the custards with:

Use a propane torch to melt and caramelize the sugar. Hold the flame about 2 inches above the surface of a custard. Move the flame in small circles to melt and color the sugar as evenly as possible; some sugar will remain unmelted and some spots will char; this is part of the charm. Alternatively, if you do not have a torch, arrange the custards on a baking sheet and place directly under the broiler. Broil until the sugar melts and bubbles, turning the sheet and/or moving the custards around if some brown more quickly than others. Serve at once.