The creme caramel is perhaps one of the most appreciated, fresh, refined and velvety spoon desserts. Made with few ingredients, it combines the scent of vanilla with the sweet notes of caramel for a divine sensation. The preparation of the dessert is simple, however, because it is shiny and compact, some precautions listed in the recipe must be taken. Its success also depends on the cooking that will take place in the oven in a bain-marie at a sweet temperature. It is equally essential to understand when to bake the cake but by following the advice listed you will not go wrong.
Preparation time 30 minutes, 1 hour and 40 cooking and 4/6 hours of rest
Ingredients for 6 servings- 1/2 liter of whole milk
- 110 gr caster sugar
- 2 yolks
- 3 eggs
- 1 vanilla bean
- 120 gr caster sugar
- 2 table spoons of water
- 1 teaspoon of filtered lemon juice
Method
We start the preparation by cutting the vanilla pod lengthwise, then we dip it in the milk that we heat up to the boiling point. We turn off and leave to infuse at least 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the caramel: in a thick-bottomed saucepan, collect the sugar with the water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, moving the saucepan often and never stirring until an amber caramel has formed. Pour it immediately into the chosen mold making it adhere well even to the walls.
We preheat the static oven to 140 degrees
In a bowl, work the eggs and yolks together with the sugar with a hand whisk, trying to incorporate as little air as possible. It should be a well blended but not whipped mixture.
Pour the lukewarm milk over the eggs, filtering it with a tightly meshed sieve and stirring constantly. With a ladle we then pour the mixture into the mold by passing it through the sieve again, to remove any surface foam that may have formed.
The Creme caramel will be cooked in a bain-marie: then put the mold inside a deep pan filled with cold water, placing a cloth between the mold and the base of the pan in order to avoid that the two are in direct contact. We cook in the oven for about 1 hour and 30 – 1 hour and 40 minutes, often checking that the water never reaches a boil. If so, just lower the oven temperature slightly and add a little cold water to the water bath. The dessert will be ready when the cream appears compact while still being soft: to check it, just press lightly with your index finger, if it encounters a slight resistance it will be ready.
Take the crème caramel out of the oven and let it cool inside the pan until it reaches room temperature. So let’s put it in the refrigerator where we will leave it for at least 3 hours. When it is time to unmold it, we pass with the blade of a sharp knife along the edges of the mold, then place a plate on top and turn it over with a decisive movement. If the cake does not fall immediately, gently tap the bottom of the mold letting the crème caramel come off by itself.
