Wobbly, creamy and with a luscious caramel sauce, this creme caramel is sheer perfection

A deep pool of caramel sauce surrounding a trembling, barely set custard.

Layers of flavour and texture. Lennox Hastie’s creme caramel. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Crème caramel. A deep pool of caramel sauce surrounding a trembling, barely set custard. The surface as smooth as porcelain and just the right balance of rich and light. And caramel, with its intrinsic darkness and slight edge of bitterness, that makes it all come alive.

Read more and see my French onion soup recipe here.

Delicious to the max. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Creme caramel perfection. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Creme Caramel

Ingredients

For the cream

• 180ml whole milk
• 160g condensed milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 40g caster sugar
• 2 eggs  
• 4 egg yolks
• 160g double cream

For the caramel

• 120g caster sugar
• 60ml water

Method 

1. Pour the milk into a small pan; cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds into the pan. Add the pod too, and bring to a gentle simmer – then turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse while you make the caramel.
2. Put the caster sugar for the caramel in a deep saucepan (as light as possible so you can see the colour better) and barely cover with the water. Bring to a simmer and heat to a deeply coloured caramel (160C). Be careful not to stir as the sugar might crystallise. Quickly pour into a ceramic or glass dish, swirling to cover the base. Alternatively, you can divide between 4 ramekins. Set aside to cool and set.
3. Put the eggs and yolks into a heatproof bowl and whisk together. Add the sugar and whisk gently (to avoid incorporating air) to just combine. Strain the milk and slowly pour into the bowl, stirring all the time. Stir through the condensed milk and double cream and then leave to rest for 10-12 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 130C. Skim the foam from the top of the custard, pour through a sieve into the mould or ramekins and cover each one tightly with foil. Place in a bain-marie, pouring hot water two-thirds of the way up the mould or ramekins. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, checking after 15 minutes and rotating the tray in the oven. The custard should be just set but still with a good wobble at the centre. Remove from the bain-marie and allow to cool gradually. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, until completely chilled and set. 
5. Turn out to serve; simply run a small knife around the edge of the custard and the container. Place a serving plate on top of the dish and quickly invert them together.Carefully lift the dish straight up, allowing the residual caramel to pour over the dessert which should be resting on the plate. Serve immediately. Serves 4