Classic French Creme Caramel Recipe

One of the finest and best desserts in the world and yet so easy to make.

A creme caramel is a baked custard dessert topped with runny caramel sauce. This used to be the most popular dessert in French restaurants due to the profit margin and convenience of being prepared in advance. A great creme caramel should have no sign of bubbles on the sides, if you follow this recipe accurately you will achieve perfection. Watch video how to cook a perfect creme caramel using only four ingredients.

Ingredients

400g - 14 oz sugar, or approx two cups (use half for caramel)

7 eggs (four whole, three yolks)

1 Litre - 1 quart of milk. (whole milk)

1 Vanilla bean

Steps

Step 1

Add half the sugar to a mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 160C

Step 2

Break 4 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks and add to sugar.

Step 3

Place the milk in saucepan, place on stove at high heat until it boils.

Step 4

Slice vanilla bean in half and scrape all the seeds.

Step 5

Add the seeds to the egg mixture and the vanilla pods to the milk.

Step 6

Mix all ingredients by hand for 2 minutes.

Step 7

Once milk almost boils, combine it to the mixture while whisking fast.

Step 8

For the caramel, place the remainder of sugar in saucepan on high heat with a little water just enough to soak, about one quarter cup.

Step 9

Strain the mixture in a fine sieve to remove vanilla pod and any cooked egg lumps.

Step 10

Once the caramel starts to brown, shake the saucepan to mix evenly, don’t let it get too dark as it will get bitter. Pour into dariole or ramekin moulds. (Be very careful as caramel is super hot)

Step 11

Let the caramel cool down for 5 minutes then fill the moulds with the mixture.

Step 12

Place moulds in a large baking dish, fill dish with hot tap water (Bain Marie) half way up and place in oven for 40 minutes at 160C – 320F in convection oven.

Step 13

Once cooked, remove from oven and take moulds out of water for cooling. Leave to cool at least 2 hours, for best results one to two days in the fridge.

Little Tips

The caramel sauce will dissolve and be of higher quantity after a day or two in the fridge.

To un-mould, push down with fingers around the edges, place creme upside down on a plate and shake the plate whilst holding the mould vigorously. The creme should ease out.

The creme caramels are cooked once they look like jelly, do not overcook.

If oven is too hot you will get unsightly bubbles on the sides.

The black seeds on top of the creme caramel is an indication of natural vanilla, highly regarded by French Chefs.

Video: Click to watch the video