The photos in your link give a good stage-by-stage introduction to making creme brulee. We keep hens and do a lot of creme brulee around here! It's not difficult at all, and you'll receive lots of oohs and aahs from guests. Just be sure to follow all the steps, don't boil the cream, be sure to strain through a fine sieve, use a gentle water bath, don't "burn" the sugar in advance or it will be sort of gelatinous in texture by the time you serve, and using a propane torch is just fine. I mess around with the number of yolks I use, especially when I want to get rid of a few extra. The Sur La Table ramekins are mostly made in China and I have been avoiding Chinese products that are food related, so I do not know how well they function or last, or what the clay ingredients are. I use Villeroy and Boch, Apilco, and Emile Henry ramekins.

We liked Lou's cheesecake, too! I love NY cheesecake, too, this was a little different. Marilyn had two recipes that were also very good. EAST COAST CHEESECAKE (danain) 1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup butter, melted 5 (8 oz. pkgs.) cream cheese, room temperature 13/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons flour 5 large eggs, room temperature 2 large egg yolks, room temperature 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla Coat the inside of a spring form pan with shortening. Combine crumbs, ¼ cup sugar and butter in and press on sides and bottom of pan; refrigerate. Preheat oven to 500°. Beat together cream cheese, 1¾ cups sugar and flour with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time beating on low speed until incorporated, scraping bowl between additions. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Pan will be completely full. Make a water bath: Wrap foil around the outside of filled pan. Place pan in a larger baking dish and pour hot water in the baking dish to come half way up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes at 500° then reduce heat to 200° and continue to bake without opening oven door for 1 hour. Check cake. It should be very brown on top. Continue to bake until slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken, about another 35 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool cake completely in spring form pan on a rack at room temperature, about 3 hours. Refrigerate cake covered loosely with wax paper for at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving. Will keep for approximately 2 weeks refrigerated. notes - For 1/2 recipe bake in a 7" spring form pan for 10 minutes at 500° then about 50 minutes at 200°. HOLLYWOOD TWO-TONE CHEESECAKE (danain) CRUST: 11/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted PART 1: 1 pound cream cheese; softened 1/2 cup sugar 3 eggs; room temperature 3/4 teaspoon vanilla PART 2: 2 cups sour cream; room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine crust ingredients thoroughly. Grease 9-inch round pan with shortening (or use a spring form pan). Cover sides of pan with 1 cup having it come up 1-inch from the top of pan. Press remaining in bottom. Refrigerate while preparing part 1. Combine part 1 ingredients with electric mixer until smooth (beat 2 to 3 minutes). Spread into pan. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place on rack; stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 475°. About 2 minutes before 15 minutes standing time is up, prepare second part of filling. With a spoon mix part 2 ingredients until well blended. Pour over 1st part, starting from side to center, spread evenly and gently. Bake at 475° about 10 minutes. Let stand at room temperature on rack for 5 to 6 hours before releasing from pan. Loosen crumbs on sides of pan allowing them to drop on edge of cake. Remove cake carefully or serve from pan. Do not cut until the following day. Cover with waxed paper and store in coldest part of refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Keeps 3 to 4 days. Cake is about 1¼-inch high. Tip: When baking cake, place a pan of hot water under cake on lower rack. This will prevent cake from cracking.

Here's my recipe. I love this stuff. Don't make it often though, because I eat all six servings by myself. LOL Burnt Cream - A rich vanilla custard with burnt sugar topping. Yummy! 1 pint whipping cream 4 egg yolks ý cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Topping 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon brown sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat cream over low heat in small saucepan until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat cream into egg yolks. Stir in vanilla and put into 6 (6 oz) custard cups. Place custard cups in a baking pan that has about ý an inch of water in the bottom. Bake until set, about 45 minutes. Remove custard cups from water and refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle each custard with about 2 teaspoons of the sugar blend. Place on top rack under broiler and cook until topping is medium brown. Put back in the refrigerator and chill well before serving. Makes 6 servings

Tia, This might be worth considering for your French cheesecake. Clearly given the ingredients it would be very smooth and deeply rich. Of course the crust could be deleted; perhaps that's what the bakery did. French Cheesecake Servings: 16 Categories: Cheesecakes / Desserts Ingredients: -----CRUST----- 1 1/2 cups Unbleached flour, sifted 1 large Egg, separated, yolk lightly beaten 1/4 cup Sugar, granulated, up to 1/3 to taste 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, sweet cream, softened, no margarine -----CHEESECAKE----- 1 pound Cream Cheese 1/2 pound Cheese, Soft Double Creme French Cheese (see notes) 1/3 cup Sugar, granulated 1 tablespoon Unbleached Flour 4 large Eggs, separated 1/4 cup Sour Cream 1/4 cup Heavy Cream 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 tablespoon Confectioner's Sugar Directions: 1. Crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Working on a large flat surface, such as a pastry board, place the flour and the sugar in the center of the surface and mix together. Form a small depression or well in the center of the mound. Add the beaten egg yolk and the softened butter to the well, ten blend these with the dry mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly using your hands -- there's no substitute for warm hands. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. You should have a circle of about 11 inches in diameter. For best results, roll out your dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper, then peel away the paper and cut the crust in a 9-inch circle. Place the circle inside a 9-inch springform pan. Prick the crust several times with a fork to keep the crust from puffing up during the baking. Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Allow to cool. Using the leftover dough, line the sides of the springform pan. 2. Press the dough against the sides of the pan, smoothing it so as to have a continuous layer of crust all the way around the sides of the pan. Make sure that the side crust meets the bottom crust all the way around. Brush the reserved egg white onto the shell, covering the bottom and sides. This will seal the dough and keep it from becoming soggy. Set aside until ready to use. 3. Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the double creme, then add the sugar and flour and beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in the egg yolks, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is firm. Cool to room temperature, then chill before serving. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: French Cheesecake