Creme Caramel

With its smooth creamy texture and sweet caramel flavour we can see why creme caramel is one of the most popular French desserts. It’s utterly divine.

Serves 6

1 cup white sugar
600ml thickened cream
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
Method

Make caramel: Place white sugar in a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a metal spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves and turns a deep caramel colour. Tilt pan, swirling sugar to caramelise evenly (watch caramel, as it takes seconds to burn).
Pour caramel into a 7cm deep, 16cm (base) ovenproof dish, tilting dish so caramel flows evenly over base and a little up the sides.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine cream, milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until hot and small bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Strain custard into a large jug.
Place a folded tea towel in base of a roasting pan (to stop dish base overheating, causing custard to bubble around edges). Place dish on tea towel. Pour in custard.
Pour boiling water into roasting pan so it comes half way up sides of dish (known as a ‘water bath’). Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove dish from water bath. Set aside at room temperature to cool. Refrigerate overnight. Run a thin knife around edge of custard and invert onto a 1cm-deep dessert plate.Slice and serve.