Crème caramel or rather Caramel Custard is like comfort food for all of us. I learnt how easy it was to make caramel custard at home and I began churning out big bowls of caramel custard every time friends and family dropped by. There is nothing quite as simple as whisking a few eggs and adding it to a mixture of hot milk and sugar.

All of us at home – my parents, my sisters and brothers, my husband and children, well we all just love this simple exotic dessert not to forget my cousin Priya and her parents too! Though this dessert is best eaten cold, I would say a warm bowl of caramel custard just blows your mind and makes you feel good! It keeps good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days – that is, if there are left overs…

If cooking for your family, then I suggest making crème caramel in small ramekins but if making it for a crowd then you should use a pudding mould.

Below is a recipe which I religiously follow till date to make that perfect bowl of Crème Caramel.

Ingredients:

For the caramel base

• Sugar- 1/2 -3/4 cup
• Water- 1 tbsp
• Lime juice- 1 tsp

Method:                                                                                                                                                  

Put sugar in a pan along with water and lime juice and heat gently till you get a golden amber colour. Do not Stir. Pour immediately into your pudding mould and swirl so that the bottom of the dish is covered completely. Leave to cool.

For the custard

Ingredients:

• Milk- 21/2 cups
• Sugar-1/2 cup
• Eggs-2+1 egg yolk
• Vanilla essence- 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat milk till very hot, add sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves. Cool lightly (the milk should be lukewarm) and add vanilla essence.
• Beat eggs and egg yolk together until well mixed and stir in the milk gradually. Strain the mixture (very important) and carefully pour on top of the SET caramel.
• Place mould in a baking dish and add enough water to come half way up the sides. Cover the top with aluminium foil so that the top does not brown too fast.
• Bake at 140- 160 deg.c (preheated) for 45minutes or so or rather till a skewer or a toothpick inserted in the centre of the custard comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven, cool and then chill thoroughly (2-3 hours) in the refrigerator.
• To release the custard from the mould, dip a knife into hot water and free the crème from the edges of the bowl, put a serving plate on top and turn over quickly.
• Serve chilled.

Variations: 

• You could add a tsp of nutmeg powder if you like the taste.
• You could also sprinkle some grated coconut and then bake the custard.

Chefs tips

• Lemon juice is added to prevent the sugar from getting burnt – for the caramel base.
• Straining the Custard Mixture will help remove any unbeaten egg white and air bubbles.
• You could brush the sides of the pudding mould with a little oil or butter to prevent the custard from sticking.
• A slow oven is always recommended so that the egg based custard does not curdle.
• After overturning the custard if there is caramel still at the bottom of the bowl, add 1-2 tsp of water and heat lightly, the caramel will loosen, pour into a small cup and serve along with the custard.
• Serves 8.

A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.

Till my next post

Cheers,

Rose