Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Split vanilla bean and scrape out the inside of each side.

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan and stir in the scraped vanilla bean and the entire outside of the bean. Bring to a simmer.

Remove from heat, cover the pan, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the mixing bowl until the yolks are thick, pale yellow, and form a fat, slowly dissolving ribbon when dropped from the whisk back into the bowl.

Remove the vanilla bean from the hot cream.

Temper the yolks, by slowly stirring the warm milk into the yolks, until all the cream has been added and the mixture is well mixed. Skim off any bubbles from the surface of the custard.

Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and ladle the custard into each, leaving 1/4 inch at the top for the glaze.

Set the baking pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the ramekins. Be careful not to get any water into the custard.

Bake the custards for 35 minutes, until the tops are set but the custard in the center is still soft to the touch.

Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven, and lift the ramekins from the hot water.

Let them cool briefly, and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of the powdered or very fine sugar over each custard and smooth it gently with the back of a spoon, forming an even layer of sugar that completely covers the surface.

Using a cooking torch, melt the sugar until it starts to caramelize.