Caramel Custard

Ingredients

Caramel

• ⅔ Cup Sugar, 150 Grams
• ¼ Cup Water
• ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice or Vinegar

Custard

• 220 Millilitres Milk
• ½ Inch Piece Cinnamon
• A Pinch Grated Nutmeg
• 2 Eggs
• ¼ Cup Sugar, 50 Grams
• ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Steps

Caramel

1. Put the sugar, water and vinegar into a pan over medium heat. Stir as it heats to dissolve the sugar.
2. Stop stirring once the sugar has dissolved, since further stirring will make it crystallise. Leave the mixture to heat and bubble for 3-4 minutes, or until the caramel turns amber or golden.
3. While the caramel is still hot, pour it into 5 ramekin moulds as soon as it reaches the required color. Handle it carefully: contact with skin can cause severe burns.
4. Leave the moulds to one side while the caramel hardens.

Custard

1. Warm the milk with the cinnamon and nutmeg in a pot over medium heat. Do not let it boil; stop heating when it reaches scalding temperature, 180F/82C. Take out the cinnamon stick and discard it.
2. As the milk heats, whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Temper the eggs by pouring in the still-hot milk in a slow stream, whisking vigorously throughout.
3. Whisk in the vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pouring mug. Once the caramel is hard, pour the custard into the ramekin moulds. Keep it below the brim, leaving a 1 cm space at the top so the custard has room while baking.
5. Set the ramekin moulds in a 9 inch baking tin and fill three quarters of the tin with hot boiling water. Move the tin carefully into the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 180C.
6. After baking, the custard should wiggle slightly beneath a firm top layer. Take it out of the oven and let it reach room temperature, then refrigerate the ramekin moulds for 4-6 hours to set before demoulding.
7. Loosen each custard by running a knife around the mould's side. Dip the ramekins in medium-hot water for 10 seconds, keeping any water out of the custard. Leave them on the counter for another 5-8 seconds, then carefully invert onto a plate to demould. Serve straightaway.