Lindsay and Caryl, thanks for your comments. I agree that it is a little sweet, so I have updated the recipe to have 1/2 cup sugar in the creme brulee and 1/8 of a cup for the topping.

My go-to creme brulee has 1/2 cup in the cream and 1/4 for the topping and it turns out great. Perhaps the author just forgot the “3/4 cup sugar, divided” part.

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge here!

– Linda

The answer to both questions is yes: Yes, you always have to blind bake a tart shell before filling it, and yes, you could substitute this as a custard tart filling. It it is too thin after you add the cream to the eggs, place the entire mixture back over very low heat (ideally in a double boiler, but it would probably be fine if you are careful and keep the mixture circulating), whisking constantly, for a few minutes until it thickens up. You could also just cook it in a water bath as directed. The result would be a bit thicker and richer than a traditional pastry custard, but I imagine it would be no less tasty with the right crust and toppings. Either way, chill the mixture before you fill your baked tart shell with it.