1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and vanilla and stir constantly until mixture begins to bubble around the edges and almost simmer.
3. Remove pan from heat. Cover and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
4. After the cream has set for 15 minutes, combine the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium bowl (one with a pour spout if you have it.)
5. Whisk the yolks and sugar until the mixture begins to lighten.
6. Patiently add the cream mixture very, very slowly, a little at a time, stirring continually until it’s all combined. I know it’s tempting, but if you rush this step, you will cook the eggs with the hot cream and will not have a silky custard.
7. Take the lemon curd and smear a thin layer (about 2 Tablespoons) on the bottom of each ramekin with the back of a spoon.
8. Place the ramekins with lemon curd in two 9×13 baking pans (or other similar pans).
9. Gently pour the custard mixture into each ramekin over the lemon curd, filling them about a half inch below the top lip.
10. Add water to the baking pans for a water bath (pour this inside the large pan, but outside of the ramekins), allowing the water to come no higher than halfway up the sides of the ramekin. (This may be easiest to do with the pan sitting already on the oven rack in the oven.)
11. Carefully move the pans to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the creme has set. You can test by picking up a ramekin and wiggling it – when done, the edges of the custard will stay mostly still while the center wiggles like jello.
12. Remove from oven and water bath and allow to cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before covering the tops with plastic wrap and placing them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
13. While the creme cools, make the pre-bruleed sugar. (see below)
14. Remove the creme brulee from the fridge and equally divide the pre-bruleed sugar among each custard, making sure to cover to the edges.
15. Move your oven rack to the highest setting and turn on the broiler.
16. Place the sugared ramekins onto a cookie sheet or baking pan and place them under the broiler for 2 minutes, leaving the oven door or broiler drawer slightly open.
17. Remove from the oven and either serve immediately or refrigerate for no more than anther 30 minutes as crusted sugar will melt when left in the fridge.

For Pre-Bruleed “Sugar”

1. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a dry pan over medium heat, add 3/4 cup white sugar and 2 Tablespoons water.
3. Stir the sugar constantly to prevent it from burning, and if it begins to blacken, lift the pan off the stove and lower the heat before returning the pan to the heat.
4. The sugar should slowly begin to melt down into a light brown liquid, much like caramel.
5. Once all the sugar in the pan has melted, pour it out onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place in the fridge to cool.
6. Once the sugar has re-solidified, break or smash it up into smaller pieces.
7. Place sugar shards in a blender or food processor and blend until it resembles sugar once again. (You may have some larger chunks – those will be fine.)
8. Store pre-bruleed “sugar” in an airtight container until ready to top your creme brulee.