Espresso Crème Brûlée

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange six 6-ounce ramekins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a kettle or medium pot of water to a boil for the water bath.

2. Using a Café Bellisimo Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, brew the espresso.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream, milk and espresso to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, rub together the sugar and vanilla bean seeds with your fingers. Add the salt and egg yolks to the sugar and whisk until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

4. Once the cream mixture has come to a simmer, slowly whisk ⅓ of the hot cream into the egg mixture until combined. Add the rest of the hot cream, whisking to combine, then strain into a large container with a spout (like a 4-cup liquid measuring cup).

5. Pour the cream mixture into each of the 6 ramekins and transfer the baking dish to the oven. Pour the boiling water into the baking dish about halfway up the ramekins. Bake until the crème brûlée appears just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the ramekins at room temperature, then chill until ready to serve.

6. To serve, sprinkle the tops of each crème brûlée with granulated sugar and, using a kitchen torch or broiler, heat until the sugar is melted and golden brown.