Creme Caramel

A silky baked vanilla custard turned out to reveal its glossy caramel topping.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar, divided (2/3 cup for caramel, 1/3 cup for custard)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks

Directions

1. Cook the 2/3 cup sugar with the water in a heavy pan to a deep amber caramel, then pour it into six ramekins, swirling to coat the bottoms.
2. Heat the milk and cream with the split vanilla bean until steaming, then remove from the heat and let infuse 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the whole eggs, yolks, and 1/3 cup sugar together, then slowly whisk in the warm milk; strain the custard.
4. Divide the custard among the caramel-lined ramekins.
5. Set the ramekins in a baking pan, add hot water halfway up their sides, and bake at 325°F for about 40 minutes, until just set but still trembling in the center.
6. Cool, then chill several hours; run a knife around the edge and invert each onto a plate so the caramel flows over the custard.

Notes

Our own rendering of the classic creme caramel from the French custard work Dione Lucas taught.