madbaker: (Bayeux cook)
[personal profile] madbaker
Or, this week's Resolution Recipe.
Creme Caramel

1 1/4 cups sugar
4 T water
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
5 eggses
2 egg yolks

Heat oven to 325. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan mix 3/4 cup of the sugar and the water. Swirl to dissolve and cook over medium heat to about 325 degrees - caramel stage - swirling constantly. It should take about 3-5 minutes (or longer!) and do not mix with a spoon. Pour into a 9" pie plate or individual ramekins, coating by tipping and swirling. Do it quickly before the caramel sets.

Pour milk and cream into a separate saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out, and add the seeds and pod. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat and let infuse for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add milk mixture and stir to combine. Strain out vanilla pod; pour into baking dish(es) and bake in a water bath for 40-50 minutes, until set. Remove from oven and chill for several hours.

To serve, loosen edges and invert onto a plate, letting the caramel pool around.

What worked: I like creme caramel and this was successful. More vanilla would not be amiss, but I routinely double the amount of vanilla called for in a recipe.

What didn't: I used individual ramekins and they didn't de-rame very smoothly. There was a lot of caramel left on the bottom of each ramekin that needed chiseling off. We had one left over, and I poured hot water around it for about five minutes before inverting; that made the de-rameing process much smoother and also melted out more of the caramel for flavory burnt sugar goodness. So that's the way to do it in the future.

Will I make it again? Yeah, probably.

Date: 2006-02-09 07:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] patsmor.livejournal.com
Some chefs have MAP gas (? right spelling?) torches (little ones) for just this kind of thing.

Yum. Yum.YUm.

Date: 2006-02-09 08:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] goldenstag.livejournal.com
I was thinking of getting a torch so I could make creme brulee, one of our favorite desserts. OTOH, it would be an excuse to have it more often, and neither the spouse or I really need to put on even more pounds. <g>

Date: 2006-02-09 09:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] patsmor.livejournal.com
I've been considering making custards with fat-free half-n-half, egg whites, and Splenda. They cook up OK, but I haven't been up to making the experiment yet.

Date: 2006-02-09 10:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] goldenstag.livejournal.com
I dunno ... the thought of fat-free custard just seems so weird. (And fat-free half-n-half? What is the other half? I mean, really ... that's just wrong ...)

Date: 2006-02-09 10:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] patsmor.livejournal.com
I hear that! It's taken me about a year to get my head around the thought of fat-free half-n-half. It seems so... well, like military intelligence, y'know? ;-)

But if it tastes good, and can fix that craving for custard, then I'd be glad to eat it!

Date: 2006-02-09 11:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] patsmor.livejournal.com
OK, I was sufficiently intrigued by this discussion that I have just started the recipe, using these substitutions:

Caramel: same as in the original recipe.

Vanilla: as described, but with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract when the taste test indicated it needed more.
Milk/heavy cream: 2% milk, fat-free half-n-half
Eggs: All egg whites, including one additional egg's worth for the yolks
Remaining sugar: 2/3 of required using Baking Splenda instead of full sugar.

Caramel went just as planned.

Custard thickened nicely -- in fast, it started to thicken so fast that it was setting up when I put it in the bakin pan. (I didn't go hunt down my ramekins... I put it in a teflon pie dish instead.)

It's in the oven, baking in the water bath. Results, later!

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