Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.

Lightly spray six 5 oz ramekins with non-stick cooking spray. Place the ramekins inside a 9 by 13 inch pan. Carefully fill the pan with water, making sure to not get any water inside the ramekins. The water should be about half way up the side of the ramekins. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar with a spatula until you have a thick paste. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract, stirring, until the mixture shows a few bubbles. Add in the brewed espresso, stir. Slowly pour this mixture into the egg sugar mixture. Stir with a spatula until everything is combined.

Evenly divide the creme brûlée mixture among the 6 ramekins, they should be filled almost to the top. Place the creme brûlée in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. Creme brûlée is done when the edges are set (they look more firm) and the center of the creme brûlée only jiggles slightly when the pan is moved. If the center looks liquidy, the creme brûlée is not done. .

Allow the creme brûlée to cool for 30 minutes before moving them into the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The creme brûlée can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.

Remove the creme brûlée from the refrigerator to caramelize the top.

Evenly sprinkle 1/2 tbsp sugar on top of each creme brûlée. Use a kitchen blow torch to caramelize the sugar. Alternative: Dust each creme brûlée with sugar, place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven under the broiler. Check them every minute to make sure the sugar isn’t burning, however the process to crystalize the sugar make take a few minutes.