she paints the kitchen red

classic baked custard

the one thing that i absolutely dislike to say is “i have no time…” but i’m afraid it’s true lately. assignments have been piling up and it seems that deadlines are whizzing past one after the other. the only good part is that this course doesn’t have any exams. but the work that we have to do is just amazing.

right, enough whining. i baked these almost three weeks ago, for a cosy gathering with three girls whom i treat like my younger sisters. (they sprang a birthday surprise on me, so sweet) anyway, these are really eggy and smooth… it slides down your throat like silk. the recipe’s from donna hay: modern classics book 2.

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks, extra
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. place the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat and heat until hot but not boiling.

2. place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until well combined. slowly pour over the hot milk mixture, whisking well to combine.

3. grease ramekins or foil cases. pour the mixture into the ramekins/cases through a strainer. place in a baking tray and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the ramekins/cases. bake for 35 minutes or until just set. serve warm or cold. makes around 6.

creme caramel

i wanted to make chocolate pudding yesterday, but realised that we’ve run out of cornflour, so i switched to this:

2/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water

custard:
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup cream
2 eggs
4 egg yolks, extra
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. place the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. brush the sides of the pan with a little water to remove any sugar crystals. increase the heat and boil for 8-10 minutes or until the syrup is a deep golden colour. (this part is very tricky because the caramel mixture can scorch very easily)
pour into 4 ramekins. set aside for 5 minutes to allow the caramel to set.

2. to make the custard, place the milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat and heat till warm. place the eggs, extra egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined. slowly pour over the milk mixture while whisking well to combine. strain and pour over the caramel in the ramekins.

3. place the ramekins in a water bath. bake for 35 minutes or until the custard is set. remove from the tray and refrigerate until cold. to serve, dip the base of each ramekin into hot water for 10 seconds, invert the creme caramel onto a plate and serve immediately.

i think my caramel was a bit overdone, but both the boy and i liked it. my mum, however, said that the texture was a bit dense. if i do this again, i will lessen the amount of cream and increase the milk. otherwise, i think it was a pretty okay first attempt.