CREME CARAMEL - Recipe

Source Recipe from COOKING WITH DOGS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6JZx86OyXM




CREME CARAMEL / CUSTARD PUDDING: is a simple to make pudding dessert. It uses mostly handy everyday ingredients of milk, egg and white sugar which makes it a suitable beginner's challenge for baking. It consists of a slightly bittersweet caramel base, topped with a custard mixture which cooks into a smooth, fluffy and soft pudding. It is typically served by tipping it upside down onto a plate or bowl, which creates the unique appearance of the caramel side up :)




















Ingredients for Custard Pudding - (Serves 4)

- Caramel -
4 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Water
1½~2 tbsp Hot Water

＜材料＞ 4個分
カラメル
グラニュー糖大4
水大1
熱湯大1½~2

- Egg Mixture -
2 Eggs
250ml Milk (8.45 fl oz)5 tbsp Sugar

プリン液

卵2個
牛乳250ml
グラニュー糖大5

130ml Pudding Molds (4.4 fl oz)
Unsalted Butter

130mlプリン型
無塩バター(型に塗る)

PREPARATION OF RAMEKIN/MOULDS:

=> Preheat oven to 300F / 150C
=> Take a relatively thick slice of unsalted butter and coat the inner sides of the ramekins or moulds you are using. This will allow easier removal of the pudding.
=> Place them in the oven safe tray roughly around the height of the ramekins or higher, just to save later trouble of transporting them.


CARAMEL BASE MAKING:



=> Lightly rinse the saucepan or bowl you are using to cook the caramel in cold water. Tap out excess water and put onto stove.
=> Place 4 tablespoons of white sugar in the bowl in an even manner, as this will allow water to easily soak the sugar.
=> Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over the sugar.



=> Leave for around 30 seconds to 1 minutes until the sugar has soaked up the water.


=> Turn on stove to just a little below medium heat.




=> Do not stir or touch the sugar water. Let it cook until you see some browning or color appear on the surface of the sugar water.




=> At this point you want to use a thick kitchen mitten (if there's no handle on the utensil you are using) to pick up the bowl and swirl the sugar water to even out the sugar.






=> Continue to let the sugar water cook and deepen in color. If you find that it is browning too much on one side, simply pick up the bowl and swirl to even the sugar water again, and switch the two sides of the bowl as the stove may have a 'hot spot' - one area is getting more heat than the other.




=> At this point it is almost done. It can be a tad bit lighter in color. If you let it get any more darker than this it will become too bitter and tar in taste. Too light and it will just taste like sugar.
=>  Immediately turn off the heat and pour 1 table spoon of hot water into a medium bowl with a long handled soup ladle in it. (Just long enough to give you some safety away from the splattering.)




=> Lift up the bowl and tilt away from you (again, use a kitchen mitten if the bowl has no handle).
=> Quickly add the hot water in 2-3 steps and be careful of the splattering.
=> Quickly swirl the caramel to even it out again (if there happens to be a small piece or two of the sugar crystals I just scoop it out, that is fine.)




=> Quickly pour the caramel into each ramekin or mould you are using. The trick is to fill it just until a small hole is left and it will fill it up as it evens itself up, then move onto the next. You then come back and add more to each until you use up the caramel.
* Be quick with this step as caramel can set up fast and it will become difficult for you to pour!



CUSTARD MIXTURE MAKING:



=> Crack the two whole eggs into a bowl. Using a balloon whisk, lightly beat the eggs until a nice even yellow color. Do not let the tip of the whisk leave the bottom of the bowl to prevent too much foam.




=> In a bowl over the stove, place the milk and the sugar in. Turn on the stove on just below medium heat and stir with wooden spoon or soup ladle (anything that is safe with heat and easy to stir with) until all sugar grains have dissolved into the milk. Remove from heat.





=> With your less used hand pour the milk mixture into the beaten egg as you stir constantly with the whisk with your often used hand. So for me I was pouring in milk with my left as I stirred with my right hand until all the milk is inserted. This stirring motion is to prevent curdling of the eggs. (i.e cooking them.)





=> Use a fine strainer and strain the custard mixture into a clean bowl.




=> You can see there are many foams left around the sides and on the surface of the mixture. We want to take some time to remove this to allow a smooth textured creme caramel/custard pudding. You can do this with a skimmer or just with a spoon.




=> Here I am using a skimmer, and just skim it along the surface or around the edges and then drop them into a clean bowl with some water in it. Change the water if necessary.
=> Finally, when the mixture is smooth without foams, gently pour it into an easy to pour container. Preferably one with a beaker edge to allow easy pouring.




=> Pour the custard mixture evenly amongst all four ramekins or however many you may be using.
Now you are ready to bake! There are two methods for cooking this pudding. COOKING WITH DOGS uses the steaming method. But if your stove is difficult to control the heat and the water easily boils then I suggest you to just use a water bath. Steaming requires you to be there on constant watch.


WATER BATH BAKING:



=> Carefully pour some water into your tray until it fills up to half the height of the ramekins. If your tray is really small, gently remove one of the ramekins then pour the water in from the empty space you now have.
=> Bake in oven at 300F for 65~70 minutes. I find that for me, at around 1 hour the center will still be fairly wobbly and a bit too wet. So I'd then give it 5~10 more minutes and it should be just right. You want it slightly wobbly around the center but firm around the sides so that it is smooth and fluffy, but also thoroughly cooked :)
=> Carefully remove the tray from the oven. Remove the creme caramel's from the tray and set aside to cool. Once they have cooled you may wrap them up and put them in the fridge. Can be served in a few hrs once it becomes nice and cold.


REMOVING FROM MOULDS:



=> Use a knife and run it around the sides of the pudding to release it from the sides. gently tilt the ramekin to one side and tap it on a paper towel to create some space. Then it should be ready to fall out. Simply place a plate over the top of the ramekin, and flip it over. Gently tap it and if it doesn't release then just repeat the process again.



=> Alternatively you could just eat from the ramekins too, saves you washing extra dishes ;)


HAPPY BAKING :)