[monpetitchoux]

Isn't creme brulee one of the better things in life?

I suspect that you don't have enough egg yolks in your mix. Normally, for 2 cups of cream, I use 5 egg yolks from large eggs. I bring the cream and scraped vanilla bean to boil, allow to infuse a few hours or until room temp. whisk the egg yolks in a big bowl and while whisking, add in 1/4 cup sugar. Then I strain the cream over the egg yolks, whisk to thoroughly mix everything, then restrain the mix into a clean container. Use a fine mesh strainer. Then I let the mix ripen for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. During this period, the mixture thickens up a bit and becomes a little more interesting in flavor. When you bake your custard, have the oven ready at 350F and a pot of water boiling on the stove. Skim the frothy stuff off your mix before pouring into your ramekins which should be in a baking sheet. Pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins and cover with another sheet pan. Bake 40 minutes. After time is up, check to see if the custard is set. I jiggle the pan. The custard should jiggle as one whole mass, no quarter size uncooked middles at all! Remove the sheet from the oven and let the custard come to room temp in the water. Remove from water and wipe the bottom of the ramekins. Refrigerate until cold. I recommend burning the sugar with a blow torch or the traditional iron. Not in the broiler. If you do it in the broiler, then make sure you put your custard in icewater bath before putting it in the broiler. The custard has to be cold when served but the sugar must be crispy so it can't go back in the fridge. I hope this helps.

BTW, if you cook the mix on the stove before baking, then you are making a creme anglaise. That doesn't sound right to me.