(This post is dedicated to Ymke, who asked for the recipe a month ago, and Fiona, who reminded me this morning that I haven't blogged in a long time!)
Creme caramel is my favourite dessert to make at the moment - primarily because it is my favourite to eat. I adore it. When I was a child, my mother would sometimes buy those little plastic tubs of creme caramel, which I thought were delicious, but home-made creme caramel is much nicer - and surprisingly easy to make.
In Maggie's Harvest, Maggie Beer recommends that the caramel be cooked almost to the point of burning. However, I find this too strong and take the caramel off the heat earlier, when it's medium brown rather than dark brown.
The recipe I am sharing is inspired by Maggie's, although I cheat by using pure vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean. Also, I use a 20cm round cake tin rather than small pots.
Creme Caramel (inspired by Maggie Beer)
125g (1/2 C) sugar
125ml (1/2 C) water
-
4 eggs
125g (1/2 C) caster sugar
250ml cream
300ml milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Caramel
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. Continue to heat until the caramel becomes a medium brown colour - it will change quickly so watch carefully. Pour the hot caramel into a round cake tin and swirl around the edges. Do this quickly as the caramel becomes hard very rapidly.
Custard
Preheat oven to moderate (180C/350F, slightly less if your oven is fan forced.) Fill and boil your kettle. Put the caramel-lined cake tin in a baking dish.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. Heat the milk and cream together until almost boiling. Slowly tip the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Now pour the custard mixture into your cake tin and put the baking dish (with the cake tin inside) into the oven, with the oven door open. Next pour the boiling water into the baking dish so it comes about halfway up the sides of the cake tin - you could do this step before you put the baking dish in the oven but then you would have a very heavy dish to carry.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool in the water-bath, then refrigerate over night. Run a knife around the edge before turning out onto a plate.
I find this quantity serves eight people easily.
The recipe I am sharing is inspired by Maggie's, although I cheat by using pure vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean. Also, I use a 20cm round cake tin rather than small pots.
Creme Caramel (inspired by Maggie Beer)
125g (1/2 C) sugar
125ml (1/2 C) water
-
4 eggs
125g (1/2 C) caster sugar
250ml cream
300ml milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Caramel
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil. Continue to heat until the caramel becomes a medium brown colour - it will change quickly so watch carefully. Pour the hot caramel into a round cake tin and swirl around the edges. Do this quickly as the caramel becomes hard very rapidly.
Custard
Preheat oven to moderate (180C/350F, slightly less if your oven is fan forced.) Fill and boil your kettle. Put the caramel-lined cake tin in a baking dish.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. Heat the milk and cream together until almost boiling. Slowly tip the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Now pour the custard mixture into your cake tin and put the baking dish (with the cake tin inside) into the oven, with the oven door open. Next pour the boiling water into the baking dish so it comes about halfway up the sides of the cake tin - you could do this step before you put the baking dish in the oven but then you would have a very heavy dish to carry.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool in the water-bath, then refrigerate over night. Run a knife around the edge before turning out onto a plate.
I find this quantity serves eight people easily.
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