Vanilla Creme Caramel - my personal favourite dessert

 This recipe is from The Essential Ingrediant, and they have a fantastic Bourbon Vanilla Extract!  My family love the recipe because although decadant, it is not heavy or too rich, a perfect ending to a meal.

How do you know they are cooked?  You will have to use judgement here, do not overcook them, they should woble in the middle but not spill.  They DO NOT brown.  Make creme caramel the day before you need them - they need overnight to set perfectly and dissolve some of the caramel.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 cup water
500mL cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract with seeds

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 160C.

Bring the water and 3/4 cup of the caster sugar to a simmer, stirring initially to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved. Keep it at a rapid simmer without stirring until it becomes the colour of honey, then pour the hot caramel into a heat-proof pie dish or individual reamekins.

Warm the milk, cream, vanilla extract and the remaining sugar together in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until almost boiling and all the sugar is disolved then remove from the heat.
Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, and add a little of the warm milk mix into the eggs to temper them and help prevent scrambling. Transfer the egg mix into the milk mix while stirring. Combine well, then pour through a strainer into the toffee-coated dish, or distribute evenly between the ramekins.

Place the dish (dishes) into a baking tray and pour boiling water around them halfway up the outside.  Bake for aprox 30 mins, but the time taken will depend upon the size of the  ramekin(s).

Leave overnight in the fridge.  Remove them by running a knife around the edge and turning them upside down onto a plate (be brave! but careful).

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