Creme Caramel
Classic French dessert without calorific overkill
Ingredients (for 6 ramekins)
For the caramel
- 125g caster sugar
- 50ml water
For the creme
- 600ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod (or a splash of vanilla flavouring)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
Preparation
Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees centigrade.
This is the point where I have to confess that I made the batch in the photos below with vanilla flavouring as I didn't have a vanilla pod at home. If you can, use real vanilla, as you really can taste the difference!
| Creme Caramel | |
 | As a first step, we make the creme. Take 200ml of the milk, cut open your vanilla pod lengthwise and boil it in the milk. Keep just below boiling for 10 minutes so that the vanilla flavour can enter the milk. Cool down a bit, then mix in the other 400ml of milk, the 3 tbsp caster sugar and the four eggs. Beat well. If you are using vanilla flavouring, you don't have to heat up the milk. |
 | Now we are making the caramel. This takes a bit. Put the 125g caster sugar and the 50ml of water into a small saucepan. Now boil the mixture up so that the sugar dissolves and keep at a bubbly boil like in this photo. Occasionally stir with a fork, but don't overdo it. |
 | After some time (this can take a good 10 minutes or longer), you will notice that the sugar turns golden brown. |
 | Now you have to watch the caramel as you don't want to burn it. Stir it with a fork and brown it to your liking - don't go too dark as it will add a burned taste to the caramel. Quickly put the bottom of the saucepan into cold water (just very briefly, we only want the caramelizing to stop). |
 | Now you have to hurry - pour equal amounts of caramel into the ramekins and swirl the ramekin in your hand to distribute the caramel at the bottom so that it touches the sides. |
 | Within minutes, the caramel goes solid. This is the degree of caramelisation that I prefer - dark golden brown. |
 | Now add the creme mixture into the ramekins. |
 | Put the ramekins into a roasting dish and fill with boiling water so that the water goes half way up the ramekins. Put into the pre-heated oven and leave for 45 minutes. |
 | Now the creme has set. Let the creme caramel cool down, then cover in clingfilm and put them in the fridge. You will have to leave them for 24 hours in the fridge so that the caramel is dissolved and enters into the creme a bit. |
When you are ready to serve the creme caramel, go around the rim of the ramekin with a sharp knife, and turn the ramekin upside down on a saucer. The creme caramel will come out of the ramekin and look great! I don't have a photo of this yet as we haven't eaten them yet ;-)