Creme' Caramel

This would have to be one of my favourite desserts, I buy them every time from the supermarket and I'm seriously addicted to them, so I asked mum yesterday if she could buy me some while she's going shopping, but she said no, so I thought to myself and may as well make my own, and here it is :) I like to have it cold, but warm works too.

Ingredients

Caramel:

200g - Sugar
75mL - Water

Custard:

4 - Whole eggs
2 - Egg yolks
200g - Sugar
500mL - Milk (full cream)
1 - Vanilla pod
Lemon rind
Dash of vanilla essence (about 2 teaspoons)

Method:

Caramel

Preheat oven to 160. Firstly always start off with the caramel, so that you could give it time to let it harden in the ramekins. Place water in a saucepan and pour in the sugar at the center so it doesn't touch the center, turn it on to medium heat for about 10minutes or it starts to slightly bubble, then turn it up to high heat. Do not use a wooden spoon or any other utensils but your hand, this is to keep it from crystallizing, mixture will start to thicken and you'll hear the bubbles to sound a lot different, after a few minutes it will start to turn golden, do not take this off the heat, constantly keep checking the caramel in case of it burning, take it off the heat once it has a deep golden colour, and it will keep cooking and change its colour into brunette a rich colour but this is fine. Pour carmel into ramekins and place ramekins into an oven tray and let them set.

Custard

For the custard combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk until mixture is slightly frothy. Place the milk lemon rind, vanilla pod and vanilla essence in a saucepan and bring to the boil, this will infuse the flavour together. Pour hot milk into the eggs a little bit at a time, but keep whisking to temper the eggs (see note), once milk and eggs are together strain the mixture into a sieve and spoon out any excess froth (also take out the rind and pod). As the caramel has hardened pour the custard mixture into the ramekins. Pour water into the oven tray until it covers halfway of the ramekin, carefully place the creme' caramel into the oven and cook for about 30minutes 45 maximum, If still runny keep slow cooking it until the mixture has settled. Once cooked place creme' caramel into the fridge for 6 hours or overnight, but you can serve warm too.


Notes:

Tempering Eggs -
Is to bring the temperature of the eggs to match with the hot mixture and preventing it from curdling (scrambling, cooked etc.) and giving it a nice silky mixture. This is done by slowly adding the hot mixture a small amount at a time while whisking, until it is safe to add in the rest of the hot mixture in without cooking it.

Serving -
To serve, I used these weird Italian biscuits, they usually put custard in the inside, but for me I just put the Creme' Caramel inside, this also goes great with those Chocolate wafer sticks, and dusted with icing sugar. I also made a caramel whilst making the caramel for the creme', and after turning the creme' caramel out, use a knife and lightly crack and break the pieces of the hardened caramel base and place them as you wish although it is optional.



Vuala! Bonn Ape-tit!

.rEy.