Makes 6
Prep time | 20 minutes
Cooking time | 40 minutes + 6 hrs chilling time
• Crème Caramel | Place half the sugar with half a cup of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. The sugar will turn a lovely caramel colour. Divide the caramel between 6 x 1 1/3 cup capacity ceramic ramekins.
Ingredients
• 1 ½ cups caster sugar
• 400 ml thickened cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 3 strips lemon zest, removed from the lemon with a vegetable peeler
• 8 eggs
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan forced)
2. Place half the sugar with half a cup of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. The sugar will turn a lovely caramel colour. Divide the caramel between 6 x 1 1/3 cup capacity ceramic ramekins.
3. Whisk the eggs and the remaining sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, cream and vanilla and add the lemon zest. Bring the cream mixture to scalding point – almost, but not quite boiling. Using tongs, remove the lemon zest from the mixture.
4. Carefully pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. If you don’t have a spare pair of hands in the kitchen at this stage, dampen a tea towel and wrap it around the base of the bowl to help hold it steady while you are pouring and whisking.
5. Divide the custard mixture between the six ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish and carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set, topping up the water bath if needed. Remove the dish from the oven and the ramekins from the dish and set aside to cool. When cool enough to put in the fridge, refrigerate overnight or for at least six hours. To serve, run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert onto a serving plate.
