Basic Crème Caramel Food

EASY CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F.
• In a medium skillet, combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the water and cook over high heat until deep a deep amber color (about 4 min), swirling the pan occasionally.
• Immediately pour the caramel into an 8-by-4 1/2-by-3in metal loaf pan.
• Make sure you evenly coat the bottom.
• Let caramel harden.
• In a bowl, whisk the remaining (1/2 c.) of sugar, the milk, cream, eggs, and egg yolks.
• Pour custard into the pan with hardened caramel.
• Set this pan in a small baking dish and add enough water in baking dish to reach halfway up the side of the pan.
• Bake for 50 min (or until set around the edges but slightly soft in center).
• Remove pan of custard from baking dish and let cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate until chilled (at least 4 hours).
• Remove from pan by running a thin knife around the custard and flipping it onto a plate.
• Cut into slices and serve.

THE ULTIMATE CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Tilt pan to ensure that sugar is dissolved. Do not stir the mixture or the sugar will crystallize. Increase heat to high and cook until sugar turns amber in colour.
• Pour liquid caramel into six 3-inch (6 ounce) ramekins, dividing equally and tilting ramekins to cover the bottoms with the caramel.
• Over medium heat, bring milk just to a boil in medium saucepan with salt and scraped vanilla bean. Remove from heat and cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
• Stir together eggs and egg yolk in a medium bowl until well blended. Add warm milk and stir. Strain the mixture over a large measuring cup or clean bowl and pour or ladle over caramel-lined ramekins.
• Transfer ramekins to a baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the centers and the crème caramel jiggles as one, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove ramekins from bath. Let cool to room temperature. Garnish with shards of the Pistachio Praline.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add sugar and pistachio nuts to a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, tilting the pan (do not stir), until the sugar melts and turns a rich brown caramel colour. Remove from heat immediately and pour onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Once cooled, break into shards for garnish.

CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepot over low heat. Let the sugar dissolve. Carefully brush the walls of the pot with a little water to prevent the sugar from crystallizing on the sides. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the syrup turns golden brown. Remove from the heat promptly and carefully divide the hot caramel among the 6 ramekins. Let cool for at least 2 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to just below a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix together the egg yolks, caster sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl on top of a towel to keep it from wobbling while whisking in the hot liquid. Gently whisk 2 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture 1/3 at a time, trying to prevent excess bubbles. Strain though a sieve.
• Place 6 ramekins evenly spaced in a paper towel-lined baking dish to prevent the ramekins from sliding. Pour 6 ounces into each caramel-coated ramekin. Place on the extended middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish until 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. (Be careful not to get any water on the custard mixture.) Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and very gently slide it towards the center of the rack. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custards are almost fully set. Remove from the oven. Use tongs to remove the ramekins from the hot water bath. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, then refrigerate until well chilled.
• To serve, dip the ramekin in very hot water for 15 to 20 seconds. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the ramekin. Invert the custards onto serving plates. The caramel will pool around the inverted custards. Serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray 4 heatproof 6.5-oz. ramekins with vegetable spray. Place ramekins in a casserole dish.
• Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small, heavy, dry skillet over medium heat. When sugar begins to melt around the edges, gently shake the pan continually, swirling sugar around, until all the sugar melts; don't use utensils to stir. When sugar is completely melted and dark brown, remove the pan from heat.
• Quickly pour equal amounts of caramel syrup into the 4 prepared ramekins.
• Place 1 egg and 3 egg yolks in a bowl with a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture becomes frothy, about 1 minute.
• Spoon the creme fraiche into the egg mixture; add the milk, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Whisk together until ingredients are completely mixed.
• Ladle mixture into the prepared ramekins, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
• Fill casserole with hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place casserole on middle rack of preheated oven.
• Bake until just barely set, 45 to 50 minutes. You can start checking for doneness at about 40 minutes.
• Using tongs, remove the ramekins from the casserole to a cooling rack. When just slightly warm, run a sharp paring knife around the edge of each custard.
• To unmold, cover ramekin with a small plate, then invert. Chill before serving.

CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add 4 tablespoons water to a small pot. Add 1 cup sugar and stir to dissolve. Cook over medium-high, swirling occasionally, until caramel begins to turn amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Working quickly, divide caramel between ramekins, swirling ramekins to coat bottoms evenly, set aside.
• In a medium pot, heat milk over medium until hot, but not boiling. In a medium bowl whisk together whole eggs and yolks, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. While whisking, ladle some milk into the egg mixture. Whisk in remaining milk, one ladle at a time. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup, and stir in vanilla. Divide custard evenly among ramekins.
• Transfer roasting pan to oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, about 35 minutes.
• With tongs, remove ramekins from hot water and let cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around inside of each ramekins and invert onto a serving plate, gently shaking to release.

EASY CARAMEL FLAN (CREME CARAMEL)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Brown sugar in a saucepan till a medium dark golden brown, but not burnt and then QUICKLY transfer to the bottom of a pie plate(you may add a few tablespoons of water to help it melt).
• In a large bowl beat the eggs and then add the 2 cans of milk and vanilla extract, mixing well.
• Pour mixture into pie plate.
• Using a larger pan that the pie plate will fit in, fill half way with the boiling water, place in oven, and then place pie plate in the middle of the large pan.
• Bake for approximately 45 - 55 minutes. The center should be soft and firm but not liquidly.
• Let cool and then after running a knife around the edge to seperate, flip over onto a serving dish.

BASIC CARAMEL

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 cup water into a medium (2- to 3-quart) heavy-bottom saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear.
• Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup comes to a boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming. Let syrup boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until medium amber. Remove from heat.

CRèME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a small frying pan, preferably non-stick, and add the water. Heat slowly, stirring gently with a metal tablespoon until the sugar has dissolved. The base of the pan will no longer feel gritty when you run the spoon over it. (Step 1)
• Increase the heat under the pan and allow the syrup to bubble. As the water is driven off, the syrup will become thicker and the bubbles on the surface will get bigger. Do not stir the syrup during this time. (Step 2)
• Watch the syrup carefully and when it starts to turn golden at the edges, swirl the pan to ensure even colouring. Do not stir it. When the syrup has turned a rich golden caramel colour, remove from heat. (Step 3)
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Pour the caramel into ramekins. Bring the milk to simmering point.
• Put the eggs and yolks in a bowl with the sugar and whisk lightly together.
• Gradually whisk in the hot milk. Strain into a clean jug and add the vanilla, and liqueur, if using. Pour carefully into the prepared ramekins.
• Pour boiling water from the kettle into a roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 15-20 mins until the custards are just set. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 4 hrs, or even overnight. The caramels can be made up to 3 days in advance.
• To turn out each caramel, run the point of a sharp knife around the top edge of each ramekin, place a dessert plate on top and invert. Give the ramekin and plate a sharp shake and carefully remove the ramekin.