Caramel Pots De Crème Food

CARAMEL POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Center a rack in oven, and heat to 300 degrees. Put 8 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins in a large roasting pan, and set aside. Combine cream and milk, and warm them in a microwave oven or on the stove top.
• Measure out 1/4 cup sugar, and set aside. Place a heavy-bottom metal pot over medium-high heat, and sprinkle in about 2 tablespoons sugar. As soon as sugar melts and starts to caramelize, stir. When color is uniform, stir in 2 more tablespoons sugar, and continue to stir until it is melted and colored. Continue with remaining sugar. When all sugar is mahogany color, stand away from pot, and stir in warm liquid bit by bit. Mixture will bubble furiously and may form lumps; stir to smooth it out. Remove from heat.
• Place yolks, eggs and reserved 1/4 cup sugar in a very large measuring cup with a lip, and whisk to blend. Still whisking, stir in caramel liquid. Skim off foam, and fill custard cups. Set into roasting pan and pour enough hot tap water into pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Cover pan with plastic wrap or foil, poke 2 holes in opposite corners, and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until tops darken and custards jiggle a little in center when tapped. Cool custards in refrigerator; serve at room temperature.

CARAMEL POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat, cook the sugar, water and vanilla bean until it turns a deep caramel color. Swirl pan to color evenly, do not stir.
• When caramel in color, turn off the heat and slowly add milk and cream. Be careful, it will splatter. If caramel hardens, turn on the heat and stir until harden caramel dissolves and the mixture boils. Once it reaches a boil, remove from the heat.
• In a bowl, mix yolks, salt and vanilla extract. Slowly temper in caramel mixture, adding a small amount at a time, to prevent yolks from scrambling. Mix to combine, then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Fill 6 (4-ounce) ramekins with the creme mixture. Place them in a high-sided baking dish and fill baking dish 1/2 full with boiling water. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until set. The middle should jiggle slightly. Remove, let cool and refrigerate.

SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in another small saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until amber, about 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture (the mixture will bubble). Add the chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk about half of the caramel into the yolks, then add the remaining caramel and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup.
• Divide the mixture among six 6-ounce ramekins. Set the ramekins in a large baking dish, then add enough hot water to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the pots de creme are set around the edges but still jiggle in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the water and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with salt.

MOCHA POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a blender. Whisk the milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, espresso powder and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. Cover and hold the lid down with a thick kitchen towel; blend until combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the blender as needed. Divide the chocolate mixture among eight 4-ounce ramekins. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Top with chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.

BUTTERSCOTCH POTS DE CREME WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• MAKE THE POTS DE CREME Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cook over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cream. Return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the salt and vanilla seeds.
• In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture. Strain the custard into eight 6-ounce ramekins. Set the ramekins in a small roasting pan and place it in the middle of the oven. Fill the roasting pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the center. Transfer the ramekins to a baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled, 4 hours.
• MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water and cook undisturbed over high heat, until a deep amber caramel forms, 6 minutes. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any crystals from the side of the saucepan from time to time. Remove from the heat. Add 2/3 cup of water and stir until smooth. Let the caramel sauce cool, then stir in the vanilla.
• Top the pots de creme with the caramel sauce and whipped creme fraiche, sprinkle with Maldon sea salt and serve.

CARAMEL POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins or pots de creme in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch roasting pan; set aside.
• Place 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar has caramelized and is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Swirl pan, dissolving unmelted sugar; reduce heat to low.
• Slowly and carefully whisk in the milk and 1 cup cream. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the pod. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; remove the pan from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt; continue whisking until pale yellow in color. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this new mixture through a fine sieve set over a large liquid measuring cup; discard vanilla pod.
• Using a tablespoon or a small ladle, skim the surface to remove any visible air bubbles. Pour approximately 1/2 cup liquid into each ramekin. Fill roasting pan with hot water to within 1 inch of ramekin tops. Cover roasting pan with foil, and poke small holes in two opposite corners for vents.
• Carefully place pan on center oven rack; bake until just set, about 35 minutes. Remove foil; transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
• When ready to serve, place the remaining 1/2 cup cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving.

LEMON CARAMEL POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Have ready 6 1/2-cup ramekins or pots-de-crème cups and a baking pan large enough to hold them.
• In a saucepan, bring the cream, zest and coriander seeds just to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat the sugar and a 1/4 cup water over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil, without stirring, until the mixture becomes deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling the pan. Carefully whisk in the cream combination. (The mixture will sputter, so be careful.) Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until the caramel dissolves. Remove pan from heat.
• Gently whisk together yolks, lemon juice and salt. Very slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve or layers of cheesecloth. Let stand about 3 minutes, then spoon off any foam.
• Divide custard among the ramekins, cover with foil (or put lids on the cups) and place them in the baking pan. Add enough hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set around edges but trembling in the centers, 40 to 45 minutes for ramekins, 30 to 35 minutes for the cups.
• Remove from the oven and remove ramekins from pan. Let cool and refrigerate, loosely covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Serve without unmolding.

SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place eight 1/2-cup (4-ounce) ovenproof cups, custard cups, or ramekins in a large baking pan.
• 2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and kosher salt. Using the tip of a small sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from the bean, add to the butter mixture, and drop in the bean too. Stir for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has the texture of thick sand and has taken on a nutty, caramel fragrance.
• 3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously and will seize when the cream is added. Whisk for about 5 minutes, or until the hardened sugar bits dissolve and the mixture begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk.
• 4. In a large bowl, stir the egg yolks to blend. Gradually whisk in the warm caramel mixture. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout. Pour the custard into the cups, dividing it equally. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, leaving one corner uncovered. Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups, then cover the open corner with the foil. Bake the custards for about 50 minutes, or until they are just set around the edges but still jiggle slightly when the cups are gently shaken. (Be very careful of escaping steam when you uncover the pan.)
• 5. Remove the cups from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 1 hour. Cover each cup with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.
• 6. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over each pot de crème and serve chilled.
• Storing:
• The pots de crème can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.