Creme brulee is a dessert dish consisting of cold, creamy custard topped with a layer of hard, burned sugar.http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/05.2histrecept.htm The word brulee literally means "to blacken" in French, as the sugar topping the custard is burned with a propane torch or a broiler to produce a crust on the top of each custard cup.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs http://www.cremebrulee.com/creme.htm The ideal creme brulee should have a creamy custard beneath a hard, crackly and slightly bitter crust that offsets the sweetness of the custard.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs It can be a difficult dish to master and should be prepared with care.http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/05.2histrecept.htm 

Although vanilla creme brulee is the most traditional variety, many variations using different flavors such as lime, orange, mango, chocolate and ginger can be made.http://www.coquinaria.nl/english/recipes/05.2histrecept.htm http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Creme-Brulee-390/Five-Spoons-of-Creme-Brulee-65.aspx Strawberries can also be used in the recipe, as seen here.

• 1 pint, or 2 cups, of heavy cream (whipping cream will work fine)
  
• 3/4 cup diced strawberries (rinsed and diced)
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup and 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• Small pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Additional sugarhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs 

• Bowls and measuring cups
• Medium-size pot
• Whisk
• Four custard cups (preferably wide and shallow)
• Pitcher with spout
• Deep pan or Pyrex baking dish
• Towel
• Boiling water
• Propane torch with a plumber's nozzlehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Scald the cream by pouring it into a medium-size pot and cooking it over high heat until it begins to boil.
3. Separate the eggs as the cream scalds.
4. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl.
5. Whip the mixture as you gradually pour in the scalded cream.
6. Pour the mixture into a pitcher with a spout.
7. Arrange the custard cups on a towel in the pan or dish.
8. Sprinkle as many strawberry pieces as you wish into the bottom of the cups.
9. Submerge the strawberries with the custard mixture.
10. Fill the dish or pan with freshly-boiled water until the custard cups are submerged halfway. 
11. Place the dish or pan into into the preheated oven. 
12. Check after about 20 minutes, and when the custard shows a "jello-like jiggle" it is ready.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs  
13. Remove the cups from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight if possible.
14. Take some granulated sugar (sift if lumpy), and sprinkle it in an even layer over the surface of each custard cup. Sprinkle the sugar in a thickness according to taste.
15. Use a propane torch with a plumber's nozzle to melt the sugar on each cup. Lower the flame onto the sugar and move it around the surface until it melts. The sugar will go from clear to a deep golden amber hue as it caramelizes, leaving a burnt sugar crust on each custard cup. Once the sugar has cooled off and formed a shell, the cups are ready to serve.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67swb1RpaYs