Chef/owner Alan Shepard,
Step’N Out
Crème caramel is a traditional French light baked custard. A caramel sauce is added to the moulds before filling with custard. While baking, the sauce infuses the custard with a caramel flavour and bathes the finished dessert in a rich golden sauce.
Ingredients
Custard
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups milk
Sauce
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Garnish
fresh mint
raspberries
raspberry sauce (optional)
Method
Custard
- In a small sauce pan heat milk until hot, but not boiling.
- Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add hot milk and continue mixing until combined thoroughly.
- Let rest about 30 minutes.
Caramel Sauce
- In a medium sauté pan, place sugar and water. Bring to a boil and cook until a light golden brown colour.
- Set aside.
Assembly
- Heat oven to 500ºF.
- In a 3″ deep roasting pan, place nine ovenproof teacups or ramekins.
- Add 1-1 1/2 Tbsp of the caramel sauce in the bottom of each teacup or ramekin.
- Pour in custard mixture.
- Place roasting pan with the filled teacups or ramekins in the middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour boiling water from a kettle into the pan to about 1/4″ from the lip of the tea cups to create a water bath.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the custard is set.
- Remove roasting pan from the oven. Carefully remove custards, one at a time with tongs and let cool about an hour at room temperature.
- Once cooled, refrigerate for another hour or more.
Assembly
- To remove the custards, insert the tip of a paring knife around the edge of the teacup or ramekin.
- Invert container onto a serving plate. The custard should slide out, with sauce pouring over it
- Garnish with a sprig of mint and raspberries or raspberry sauce.
Yields 9 servings