Maple Pots De Crème With Almond Praline Food

MAPLE POTS DE CRèME WITH ALMOND PRALINE

Steps:

• For praline:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Scatter almonds on small rimmed baking sheet. Bake almonds until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Push almonds together in 4-inch square on sheet and cool.
• Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon water, corn syrup, and coarse salt in small heavy saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is dark amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour caramel evenly over almonds, coating completely. Let stand until cold and hard, about 30 minutes. Break praline into pieces or process to coarse crumbs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For custard:
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Arrange four 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk yolks, both sugars, extract, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream. Divide custard among ramekins. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until center is just set, about 35 minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours. Cover; chill overnight.
• Sprinkle praline over custards.

MAPLE CREAM CHEESE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a small bowl beat the egg yolks to a homogeneous consistency and whisk in the maple syrup. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk and bring it slowly to a simmer. Whisk in the cream cheese and cinnamon. Just before the milk mixture comes to a boil remove it from the heat and pour half of it into the beaten eggs. Immediately stir everything back into the saucepan.
• Pour the milk egg mixture into 6 (4-ounce) tea cups or ramekins. Place all the cups into a roasting pan and fill it halfway with hot water. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until the custard is set, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Chill completely before serving.

MAPLE PRALINES

Steps:

• In a heavy 1-qt. saucepan, combine sugar, cream and syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally., Remove from the heat. Add butter; do not stir. Cool, without stirring, to 160°. Stir in pecans. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture just begins to thicken but is still glossy. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

MAPLE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Bring the cream, maple syrup and salt to a simmer in a sauce pan.
• Mix the egg yolks and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Mix the cream mixture into the egg yolks a little at a time.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve.
• Pour the mixture into 4 ramekins.
• Place the ramekins in a baking dish and fill the baking dish with hot water until it come halfway up the ramekins.
• Bake in a preheated 300F oven until set, about 50-60 minutes.
• Remove from hot water bath and let cool to room temperature.