Crème Caramel With Fresh Fruit ©

December 30, 2017

A family favourite! Just the thing for New Year’s Eve!

Light and delicious!

Happy Happy New Year! And THANK YOU so much for following my blog!

Easy

Feeds 10 Persons

Preparation Time 1/2 Hour

Ingredients

Caramel

200 g sugar

4 tbs water

Crème

5 eggs

75 g caster sugar

3/4 pint milk

1 Vanilla pod

Garnish

Soft fruit that is in season : Summer fresh peaches, winter raspberries

Caramelised nuts : Nut brittle if available.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180. C. Make one or two days before, for full flavour.

Choose an oven proof dish to pour your caramel into first!Place sugar and water in saucepan and heat over high heat, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar granules. These should all be dissolved before it boils. If not remove from heat and stir. Return to heat and leave to boil rapidly until it starts to turn colour. This takes about 5 minutes, but for safety stay close by! Once it starts to colour stay over it until it is darkening. See photo. If it is too light, there is not much flavour, so you just need to burn it a bit more, but not to smoking!
Pour with great care caramelised sugar into fire/oven proof dish and wearing oven gloves, immediately roll the liquid caramel around the dish, including the sides.
In the same saucepan that the caramel cooked in, add the milk and heat gently without boiling.
In a bowl add sugar and eggs and beat with a whisk for two minutes to break up eggs. Pour over the heated milk and mix well.
Using a sieve, pour egg mixture into caramelised oven proof dish and place in roasting tray. Fill with boiling water from a kettle, this forms your ‘Bain Marie.’It enables the creme caramel to cook in the oven without curdling.
Cook for 45 minutes and test centre with a sharp knife to the base. If it is cooked the knife should come out clean! If not leave a little longer and test again.
Once cool place in refrigerator to chill and for the caramel to be absorbed into the creme. I usually make it one to two days before.
When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the bowl and place a deep serving dish on top. Turn over with a quick flip of the wrist.
Decorate with fresh soft fruit and if available sprinkle with nut brittle.

Cook’s Tip : Bain Marie : Is a typical French Cooking Term for cooking delicate egg recipes in water, so that they don’t curdle!

To make nut brittle, follow caramel recipe and add hazelnuts at the last minute.Pour out onto greased marble surface. When cold break up in pestle and mortar.

This is what you are aiming for when you have a fresh peach topping. Otherwise any soft fresh fruit topping can be used, as you have seen with the raspberries above.

Use sugar that you have stored in a jar with Vanilla pods. Otherwise slice vanilla pods down the centre and scrape vanilla into sugar.

Place sugar in saucepan along with water and stir over a high heat until all the sugar granules have dissolved. This is important ‘before’ it begins to boil, or it can crystallise.

After 5-10 minutes sugar will start to change colour. Stay over it and as soon as it is as the above colour pour out into fireproof bowl.

Wearing oven proof gloves tilt bowl and allow caramel to cover base and sides. The caramel sets quickly so do this immediately.

Do this immediately as the caramel goes solid quickly!

In another bowl add eggs and sugar and beat with a whisk to break up eggs.

Add warm milk that you have heated up in caramel saucepan.

Place in pre-heated oven in “Bain Marie.” Bake for 30 minutes and test in centre with a knife. If it comes out clean it is ready, if not leave in oven another five minutes.

Run knife around the edge and make a right and left motion to bowl to make sure caramel has come lose. Place plate that has a little depth over the top and flip caramel out.