Crème Caramel
A classic French restaurant dessert menu item. The caramel turns to a sauce as the custard cooks and, when inverted onto a plate, yields a beautiful golden color.Based on a recipe from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, Zoe Coulson, Hearst Books, New York, 1980, p. 359.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Caramel
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Custard
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter eight 6-ounce custard cups very well. Gather a rimmed baking pan to fit custard cups.
Caramel
- In small saucepan, over medium heat, add 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir with a whisk continually, until sugar melts and turns to a light brown syrup. Distribute evenly into prepared custard cups. Place cups in rimmed baking pan.
Custard
- In large bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on low speed, until lemon colored. Beat in milk and vanilla. Distribute evenly on top of caramel in custard cups.
- Put hot water in rimmed pan to just within one inch of top of cups. Bake 1 hour or until when a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack, then refrigerate until cold. To serve, run a knife around edge of custard cup, place dessert plate on top and invert. Caramel should flow over edges of custard, forming a pool of sauce around it.
Notes
Prepare a day in advance or early in the morning.