Crème Caramel

The other night I had a friend over for dinner and was feeling rather ambitious so less that half hour before she was due to arrive, I "whipped up" a batch of Crème Caramel. I've made it once before and I remember it being fairly easy. I found a recipe online and followed it exactly, except for using skim milk because that was all I had. It turned out great, although my caramel sauce could have been a little more caramelized. I got rather impatient. It takes quite a while for the sugar/water mixture to reduce then caramelize. Despite this, the Crème Caramel turned out well and tasted fabulous!

Recipe from Christine Cushing Live at FoodNetwork.ca

Crème Caramel:

Makes 6 individual custards or one large

Caramel:
2/3 cup sugar (150 ml)
1/3 cup water (75 ml)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Gently stir to mix and start the sugar dissolving. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Tilt pan to ensure that sugar is dissolved. Do not stir the mixture once the heat is on or the sugar will crystallize. Increase heat to high and cook until sugar turns amber in colour. *WHEN IT SAYS DO NOT STIR, THEY MEAN IT. Once sugar mixture starts to boil, leave it alone. It will take at least 15 minutes for the sugar to start to caramelize. Be patient!

3. Pour liquid caramel into six 3-inch (6 ounce) ramekins, dividing equally and tilting ramekins to cover the bottoms with the caramel. Caramel will harden but don't worry, it's only temporary.

Custard:
2 cups milk
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 egg yolk

1. Over medium heat, bring milk just to a boil in medium saucepan with salt and vanilla. Remove from heat and cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.

2. Stir together eggs and egg yolk in a medium bowl until well blended. Slowly pour warm milk into egg mixture a little bit at a time, stirring continuously. Do not pour the milk in all at once or you risk scrambling your eggs! Ladle custard mixture into the awaiting ramekins.

3. Transfer ramekins to a baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the centers and the crème caramel jiggles as one, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove ramekins from bath. Let cool to room temperature.

4. When cooled, run a knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and invert each onto a serving plate. Tap bottom of ramekin and gently lift ramekin up, leaving the custard behind on the plate with caramel sauce covering the top and running down the sides! Pretty and yummy!