cooking challenge week two: creme caramels

I have always loved creme caramel. It is so sweet, and the texture is like silk, unlike anything else in the world. I did a lot of research into various recipes and settled on the simplest and most traditional I could find. It worked out quite well, though I think I will continue to tweak the details over the next few months to perfect it to my liking. The recipe called for full fat milk and I used skimmed and, to be honest, this really was one of the nicest creme caramels I've ever eaten.

This recipe serves four, so you will need four oven-proof ramekins.

You will need:

250g caster sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/2 litre skimmed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
3 egg yolks

What to do:

Over very low heat, put water and 150g of sugar in a saucepan and stir gently. Leave to cook for approximately ten minutes, stirring every few minutes. It should turn a dark brown colour and the sugar crystals should be completely dissolved, giving the mixture almost the consistency of golden syrup.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, over low heat, bring the milk and vanilla essence to a slow simmer and leave to heat for approximately five minutes. Don't let it curdle nor burn.

Once the sugar mixture is ready, ladle a small amount into the ramekins. This is crucial - do this one by one! As the sugar mixture touches the cold ceramic of the ramekin, it will set very quickly. Carefully tilt the ramekins so that the base is completely covered in mixture. Do this to all four.

Preheat the oven to 160'c. In a deep mixing bowl, hand whisk the 2 eggs and 3 egg yolks with the remaining sugar until well combined. Slowly pour the warm milk in, whisking constantly. Don't overwhisk as you don't want the custard to be too aerated or frothy.

Bang the bowl a couple of times on the work surface to shake out any big bubbles. Use a soup ladle to distribute the custard evenly into the ramekins. You can fill them right to the very top if you have enough!

Once filled, carefully place the ramekins into a large, deep baking tray. Pour boiling hot water into the dish, bringing it to 2/3 of the way up the side of the ramekins. Using extreme care, as this can be tricky(!), transfer the baking tray to the oven. Cook for 60 minutes and then test their readiness. Creme Caramels should be lightly brown on top, and you should be able to tap the top of them and feel their springiness. They should not dip in the centre.

Remove from the oven and refridgerate for anywhere between 3 hours and overnight. Serve solo - they're delicious just as they are! To serve, run a small, sharp paring knife around the perimetre of the ramekin, place the creme caramel on a plate and ease the sweet out. It should slide out without too much encouragement.