Ella’s home kitchen

Creme caramel is a really easy dessert, but it can be daunting. After many trials and errors, I developed this recipe and am proud to share it.

The ratio I find that works really well is 1 egg:100ml of milk:10g of sugar. Depending on your taste buds, you can increase or decrease the amount of sugar. The key to a silky-smooth custard is not to overbake it. Once you put these in the oven, you want to watch your timing and pull them out when they slightly jiggle in the middle. I find 30 minutes in the oven will do the job. More than that will result in rubbery and watery custard. Another key thing to ensure that you have a silky-smooth custard is baking them in a bain-marie (water bath). This will cook the custard gently, and the steam will help keep the top from drying.

Ingredients ( make 8 creme caramel in 60 ml ramekins)

For the caramel

70 g of sugar

For the custard

7 eggs

70 gr sugar

700 ml of milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Add 70 g of sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the sugar until it is melted and turns amber.

Once the sugar is melted, remove it from the heat and pour it into a ramekin. Work quickly, or the sugar may harden and become hard to pour. Be careful, as melted sugar is extremely HOT.

Notes: The sugar doesn’t need to cover the whole bottom of the ramekin. The sugar will melt evenly when the entire thing is in the oven.

For the custard:

In the same saucepan, add 700ml of milk and 70g of sugar. Gently heat them over low heat.

In another bowl, crack all 7 eggs and beat them with a balloon whisk until homogenized. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Carefully add the steamed milk into the egg mixture a little at a time and continually whisk.

Once the mixture comes together, strain it over the fine mesh strainer for a smooth custard.

Pour the custard mixture into the ramekins. Put all the ramekins into the roasting pan.

Pour HOT water into the roasting pan until it reaches 2/3 of the height of the ramekin. Cover the whole pan with foil.

Put them in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins.

Once done, remove the ramekins and let them cool completely at room temperature. Cover and transfer to the fridge to chill.

To serve: Use a paring knife and run along the side to loosen the custard. Flip onto a plate and enjoy.