Caramel
Mix 1 cup sugar
½ cup water
Heat, stirring until dissolved. Then boil over medium heat without stiring until a brown caramel colour. Test by removing a placing a little on a plate, but be careful not to over cook or it will taste burned.
Place into 6 ramekins and swirl to distribute the caramel up the sides. Don’t allow the bottom caramel to be too thick or it won’t melt properly.
Preheat oven to 150.
Custard
300mls cream - unthickened
200mls milk
1t vanilla essence or extract
½ cup sugar
Heat until nearly boiling, then cool a little.
Whisk together
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
Add slightly cooled milk mixture, whisking as you add it.
Strain through a fine strainer, and pour into prepared dishes.
Place folded tea towel on the bottom of a baking dish. Place creme caramels into baking dish and pour boiling water around them to come 1/3 to ½ way up.
Cover with alfoil, and place in 150 oven for 20 mins. Turn the dish around, and cook another 10 minutes. After this time remove any that are set, and cook those not set for another 5-10 mins. The length of time in the oven depends on the temperature of the milk mixture before you put them in and the actual temperature of the oven.
Remove from oven and chill 4-5 hours.
Either turn them out to serve, or sprinkle with caster sugar and brown the sugar on top with a blow torch or under a grill on high.
Maximum effect. Minimum effort. I love cooking. I really do. But usually I want to play with flavour combinations to gain the most delicious dish with the minimum amount of effort. Most of these recipes reflect this.
