This is the perfect light dessert to complement a turkey or ham dinner.
Basic Crème Caramel
Ingredients
1 recipe (see recipe below)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. table salt
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
Arrange eight 6-oz. ramekins in a large roasting pan.
Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions, but cook it another 30 seconds
or so to a medium-dark amber. Immediately pour the hot caramel into the
bottoms of the ramekins, portioning it equally. Quickly and carefully swirl each
ramekin to coat the bottom evenly and coax the caramel about 1/2 inch
up the sides of the ramekins. Set aside to let the caramel harden.
Fill a teakettle with water and bring to a boil.
Combine the milk, cream, sugar, and salt in a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan and
bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk the eggs, yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl and then slowly add the
hot milk mixture, whisking constantly.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a 1-quart heatproof measuring cup.
Portion the custard among the ramekins. It should just about fill each one.
Pour the hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan until it comes one-third
to halfway up the sides of the ramekins (be careful not to splash water into the custards).
Bake the custards in the water bath until the edges are set but the centers still
jiggle slightly when gently shaken, 30 to 35 minutes. If the centers are more wavy than
jiggly, cook them a bit longer. Rotate the pan halfway through if the custards
appear to be baking unevenly.
Carefully transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover each ramekin
with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 3 days.
To serve, run a small knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen the custard.
Quickly invert each custard onto a plate. If it doesn’t release right away, gently
Quickly invert each custard onto a plate. If it doesn’t release right away, gently
shake the ramekin from side to side a few times to help it out.
Caramel
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Fill a cup measure halfway with water and put a pastry brush in it; this will be used for washing down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization.
In a heavy-duty 2-quart saucepan, stir the sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup cold water. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to wash away any sugar crystals.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan, until the mixture starts to color around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes.
Gently swirl the pan once to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning in isolated spots. Continue to cook until the sugar turns medium amber, about 30 seconds more.
