Bakewell Tart er... Pudding for Daring Bakers!

Revealing the Daring Baker Challenge for the month of May - Bakewell Tart er.. Pudding!!

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I just had to include this quote from our forum about what this tart er.. pudding is - Someone once said something like “The Bakewell pudding is a dessert. The Bakewell tart is that girl over there.” Flan-like desserts that combine either sweet egg custard over candied fruit or feature spiced ground almonds in a pastry shell have Mediaeval roots. By the latter half of the 1800s, the egg custard evolved into a frangipane-like filling; since then the quantity of jam decreased while the almond filling increased.

My experience:

This month I got a chance to finish my challenge early, I mean in the first week itself. We had been invited to a gathering planned at our friends house, with another couple who were also our close friends. They had always wanted to try my daring bakers creations and so I decided this is the perfect chance to give them a taste of what they see on all these blogs!! But I wanted a taste of this before I took it over. So in the same afternoon, at the same time, I made a smaller 5" tart for the taste test and a large 10" tart for taking over to the party!

I accomplished quite a few firsts from this challenge, my first pastry crust, my first tart, and ofcourse my first tart er... pudding!

I made the sweet crust pastry according to the instructions (one complete recipe for the 10" tart and half the recipe for the 5" tart) and chilled it for 30 minutes. I had some trouble rolling out the pastry and I started thinking that maybe I didnt add enough water to hold it all together really well. So I just wet my hands with water and gently kneaded it without crusing it too much. While transferring the pastry crust to the tart pan, the experimental 5" tart took all the beating with a lot of tears and I patched the holes up with extra pastry dough. I was more careful with my 10" party tart and rolled out the crust carefully and managed to tarnsfer it draped over the rolling pin, to the tart pan. Once again the small tears were patched up with extra dough.

The 5" tart took a red plum jam filling and the 10" tart got a strawberry jam filling (both store-bought). I put the crust in the freezer for a few of minutes, to harden. Making the frangipane was a delight!! I ground the almonds in the food processor until very fine. I made the frangipane separately for the two tarts, half the recipe for 5" and the actual recipe for the 10". Once the jam filling was a bit set, I spread the frangipane on top and proceeded to bake the 5" tart first!

The tarts were baked individually. The 5" tart was baked at 400F for about 18 minutes. I didnt use sliced almonds on top while baking. It came out nice and puffy and golden brown, but becuase of my rough handling the part where my thumb poked into the edge of the tart, it got a crack on the side! I reduced the temperature of my oven to 350F for the 10" tart and baked the tart for a total of about 22 minutes. But for the 10" tart, I used sliced almonds on top during the final few minutes of baking. The reduced temperature actually made the tart cook properly and gave an amazing droolworthy light golden brown color.

I took pictures without the decoration and then took the 5" tart out of its pan, and did a chocolate cool whip swirls (which BTW dont look as cool as I thought it would). I also drizzled melted semi sweet chocolate on top. A few whole almonds on the chocolate swirls and the tart was ready to be devoured!! (Note the cool whip melting, becuase I just couldnt wait for the tart to cool down before cutting into it!!!). The 10" was topped with perfectly golden almond slices, which I took to the party!

VERDICT:

We absolutely loved the balewell tart er.. pudding!!! The amazing texture and taste of frangipane has to be mentioned!! My sweet crust pastry, eventhough looked patched up while it was unbaked, was flawless after baking! The cherry jam filling was amazing and went well with the whole thing!! I was sure that the 10" would be just as fine, if not better!! My only complaint was that the jam was too sweet (the complaint has nothing to do with this challenge recipe - its my own fault, really - using the store-bought jam and using it generously!! ;-)). I just cant say enough of the tart er.. pudding. It was awesome, it really was!!!

The 10" tart with the strawberry filling, was taken to the party, and I took a couple of pictures of that, but my dear JM deleted the pictures from the camera unknowingly &^%*@*&!! (Note the tactical use of "dear" before his name!). The reality was that everyone were full to their throats by the time we decided that it was time for desserts. There was an icecream cake which was devoured first and then when it was time for the tart, everyone was stuffed, I know I was!! Anyways, the tart was welcomed with both hands, and I guess everybody loved it. Many commended that the jam was pretty sweet (duh! My bad!!).

I also took a couple of slices from my 5" tart to my work place where my collegue jumped on it and ate both the slices with a happy grin on his face. He remarked that he loved it and it was amazing!! I was worried about the crust, him being a pie lover, but it passed his rating too!! So all in all, I got a lot of taste testers this time around and I would say everyone liked it and some of us loooooved it!!!

One more succesful daring baker challenge and a few more happy customers, with love in their tummies!! :-) Thank you hosts for helping us complete another challenge well done!! Cant wait for the next one.....

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)

Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)

Resting time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)

Bench flour250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability

One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)

One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart:

Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Jasmine’s notes:

• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.

• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.

• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.

Annemarie’s notes:

• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)

Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour

30g (1oz) sugar

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)

2 (2) egg yolks

2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)

15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Jasmine’s notes:

• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract.

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened

125g (4.5oz) icing sugar

3 (3) eggs

2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract

125g (4.5oz) ground almonds

30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Annemarie’s notes:

• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

Signing off from Bakewell Tart er.. Pudding heaven, JZ! Check out all my previous Draing Bakers Challenges here! Have a great weekend!!

Dry Crab Curry with Fresh Blue Crab

I am back with a delicious and enticing post for you all... Last week I just couldnt find any time for myself, to draft a post and share with you. I didnt make anything new at all last week and so I am posting about the Crab curry - JZ style that I made sometime back.

We have an oriental foods market in MN which is about half an hour or more drive from my home. The market is famous for its wide variety of fresh seafood and vegetables, many of which are also available in Kerala. So the Keralites in MN love to visit this particular shop and try their hands at all the veggies and seafood just like the ones available back at home. Since its really far from my home, we dont go there often, but we do when we can. Once when we went there, they had some fresh blue crab. When I say fresh, I mean frrrrrrrresh!! They were alive, moving around in the basket they were in. I saw a few people try hard with tongs to pick them up and put them in brown paper bags all the while thinking about the delicious stuff they are going to come up with!! But the crabs were fighting tooth and nail, with their claws, viciously attacking the tongs coming at them. I felt envious of the people buying them, I had never made anything with crab before! I didnt even know how to clean or cook the crab.

Anyways, I felt adventurous that day and I asked JM to buy me two of them. JM generously passed me the "honor" of getting the crabs into the bags. After a lot of wrestling around, I got two of them into the bag. All the while we were driving back home, I imagined them escaping the bag and crawling around in the trunk, ready to pinch me with their claws!! ;-)

But to my relief, they were still in the paper bag. After researching on the internet, I boiled them whole for a few minutes and then cleaned them. I cut them in half and proceeded to make a curry that I just thought up then and there. I made the crab curry in a traditional fish pot, the one made with clay, used for making fish curries. I should say that it was really delicious!! Believe me, it really was! It was amazing, with the flavors reminiscent of Kerala Fish Curry. I got good reviews from JM - a true seafood buff, so I am sure that it really was good. I loved it too, apart from the fact that I dont believe in working hard to get a small morsel of delicacies such as shrimp and crab!! ;-) Hopefully you would love this recipe. Try this out and share your results with me.

Recipe (Serves 2):

Blue crab - 2 nos (1 lb)
Green chilli (Serranos) - 1, sliced lengthwise
Onion - 1/2, chopped
Ginger - 1" piece, sliced thin
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kudampuli (Camboge) - 1, cut into pieces

Method:

Clean and cook the crab for a few minutes with the shell on.

Cut the crab in half.

Saute the ginger, chillies and onion in oil in a saute pan or fish curry pot.

Add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder, saute well.

Toss in the crab halves.

Pour some water in, just enough to cover the crab partially.

Season with salt.

Close the pan with a lid and cook until the water is evaporated and the masala coats the crab.

Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!!

Tips:

1. I still am not an expert in cleaning the crab, so check out the experiences from others on how to clean it.

Hope you enjoyed reading my post. Wishing you all a great day and an awesome week ahead!!

Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti - a review for Foodbuzz Tastemaker programme!!

Once again I would like to introduce to you all, a new product on the market. Its the Buitoni reserva Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, a new line of Italian pasta meals with minimal processing and no artificial ingredients. I got to sample the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, which pairs up Foodbuzz members with vendors who choose to get their products reviewed. This is my third review for the Tastemaker programme.

The package of pasta arrived promptly after my acknowledgement of the offer. The package of agnolotti can be refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, the product doesnt have to be thawed, we just have to follow the cooking instructions. I kept mine in the refrigerator.

Agnolotti is a kind of ravioli made with small pieces of flattened pasta dough, folded over with a roast beef meat and vegetable stuffing (wiki). The Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti is generously filled with fresh portobello & crimini mushrooms, imported Grana Padano & Parmesan cheeses and fresh roasted garlic. The cooking is minimal, with just boiling the pasta for about 4-6 minutes. The serving suggestion is to serve with pasta sauces or simply tossing them in extra virgin olive oil.

I prepared them following the package instructions. A couple of the stuffed agnolottis broke while cooking. For the pictures, I have presented the cooked pasta as such, with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of oregano. I was plesantly surprised by the delicious and delicate flavor of the agnolotti. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the stuffing was delicious. The texture of the filling was amazing. I could taste the cheeses and the mushrooms. I really enjoyed my share and they are amazing just on their own, without any sauces. I would have loved it even more if there was a bit more of the stuffing in the pasta. Nevertheless, I have no trouble giving it 5 stars for taste and ease of preparation!!

Thank you Foodbuzz for yet another amazing oppurtunity to sample a wonderful product! Check out the Buitoni products at your grocers - I really enjoyed the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, try them out and share your experiences with me.

Have a great day!!

Cream Cheese - Mixed fruit bits Strudel

This time I should say I completed my challenge with time to spare, though just two days before! Yes, once again its time to reveal the DB challenge for the month of May. The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

First of all, I want to mention that the support and the rapport of the DB members in the DB forum is praise-worthy!! I had almost given up on my thought of attempting this challenge. Thankfully, I went through the posts of the DBers on our members only forum and I was in awe of the combinations that everybody had made. There were many who had done multiple versions and had gone really creative with their flavor combinations. Everybody offers each other support, suggestions and advice and it really inspired me to atleast attempt the challenge and I am happy to say that I did.

I really was not sure if we would like the strudel because we do not usually like dough based desserts (like pies - that doesnt mean that we wouldnt eat it, though!!). The recipe seemed really simple so I wasnt entirely happy with my decision to pass this challenge. But finally, on an instinct, I started putting the dough together on Monday. I actually used bleached enriched all-purpose flour. The dough came together well and it was allowed to rest for an hour and a half. The dough was stretched at first by rolling out and then by hand. I got a few tears but I didnt care! I was happy that I was even doing it!

From the date the challenge was revealed, I knew I wanted to do something with a cream cheese base. I saw quite a few of cream cheese cherry combo, so I decided to go with a fruit medley. I used the dried mixed fruit bits available and soaked it in rum extract and fruit juice for about an hour and a half. The cream cheese was beaten until smooth along with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. The soaked fruits were then folded into the cream cheese mixture.

I divided the dough in half and worked with one half at a time. I stretched each half as much as I could, initially with a rolling pin and then with my hands. The stretched dough was smeared with melted butter and generously dusted with toasted breadcrumbs (store-bought). I divided the cream cheese mixture between the two strudel dough and the rolled the dough as instructed. I shaped one of the strudel logs into a horse-shoe and the other one was left as is. The top of the strudel was smeared with some melted butter and was sprinkled with a bit of breadcrumbs. After about 20 minutes of baking, I brushed the top of the strudels with an egg-wash, and baked for another 10 minutes.

The strudel was allowed to cool for another 30 minutes. The strudel was served with a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate and strawberry coulis.

My only complain is that in my horse-shoe shaped strudel, the most filling of cream cheese leaked out through the few tears in the dough and so when cut, there wasnt much filling left! So I was left wondering how it would've tasted! Be aware of the cons of the tears. But finally when I cut the log shaped one, it had a thick amazingly delicious cream cheese filling inside. I got quite a few layers in each strudel and they were delicate, thin and crisp to perfection. I refrigerated the left overs and yesterday evening after work, I tasted some straight from the fridge and it was awesome!! I would recommend it cold! It hadnt turned soggy at all, it was crisp and delicate just as before.

VERDICT :

Eventhough I was a little apprehensive about trying this challenge, I am really happy that I did. This is not the best among the DB challenges for me, but still I really like the simplicity and the results of this recipe. The dough takes no time to put together and is very simple. Once you figure out the combination of the filling that you want, you can get the filling together while the dough rests. The stretching of the dough, if done a bit patiently, will work out perfect - its easier if done in half. The strudels were crisp, flaky and delicious. I got many delicate layers which baked to a perfect golden brown color. I was just ok with the taste on the day I baked them, but I was amazed with the delicious flavor after a day in the fridge. The pastry was still flaky and crisp and the filling was cool, creating a great feel in your mouth! I would like to make this again, with different fillings. It is not at all time-consuming when compared to some of the past DB challenges and is great as a home baked goodie which does not need days of preparation! :-) Thanks Linda and Courtney!!

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes
15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the fillin
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbsstrudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.


Strudel dough from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips- Ingredients are cheap so we would recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling and stretching of the dough with the first batch and if it doesn't come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try
;- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyster.
;- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves.
;- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table.
;- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.

Both Courtney and I did a trial run on making the strudel. Below are our notes:

Courtney's notes- She could't get it to stretch to 2 feet by 3 feet, it turned out more like 2 feet by 2 feet. But the dough was tissue thin nevertheless;- She got some serious holes, but after rolling it wasn't noticeable;- She used a large cheese cloth which helped manipulate and stretch the dough more than a heavier cloth would have.

My notes- I made the dough by hand, just mixed the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Kneaded it for about 5 min like you would bread dough. This worked as well. Haven't tried using a standmixer so I don't know how it compares.- Instead of cider vinegar I used red wine vinegar;- I used bread flour;- Picking up the dough to let it stretch didn't work well for me, holes appeared pretty much instantly. Instead I stretched the dough while it was lying on the tablecloth by putting my hands underneath and stretching it out further and further.

Here's a link to a strudel making video that might help you a bit. Check out the DB bloroll for more ideas.

Caramel Custard Pudding - One of my favorites!!!

Caramel custard pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts. I love the texture, the taste and the feel that this dessert brings. The smooth, creamy, cool feel of this amazing dessert in your mouth, can be best described as heavenly!

I dont remember the first time I had this wonderful piece of heaven, but I do remember that my mom used to make this at home for special occassions and sometimes, just because :-). My brother and I were ardent lovers of mom's caramel custard and it isnt surprising at all that I learned the recipe for this before any other!! My mom used to cook the custard in a pressure cooker (without gasket) and basically steam it. My brother and I would fight like crazy for the liquid caramel that forms once its cooked.

After coming to the US, I searched for a recipe that didnt require the custard to be steamed, but rather could be baked. I came across this amazing recipe at Chef De Cuisine. I tried these out and they came out really well. Since then, I have made this recipe a zillion times since then, mostly in half the quantity, and have always been happy with it. So I thought that its high time that I shared this recipe which has given me good results consistently. JM is also a big fan of caramel custard and there's no doubt that this will be our go-to recipe forever! The pictured custard was gone in two days, I mean TWO days!!! (Actually we started working on this last Friday night, and it was gone by Saturday evening!!). Do try this out and I know you will love it! I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have, so please send an email to jz.tastytreats@gmail.com.

Recipe (Serves 8) :

For the caramel :

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - 2 tbsp

Heat the sugar and water together in a saucepan. Melt the sugar and wait until the sugar is caramelized and turns dark brown. Remove from heat and pour into a large mould or individual moulds. Swirl to cover the bottom of the mould/s and allow to cool completely.

For the custard:

Eggs - 6

Milk - 1 quart (32oz)

Granulated sugar - 1 cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method :

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until well blended.

Boil the milk in a saucepan.

Add the boiling milk into the egg-sugar mixture and mix until uniform.

Stir in the vanilla essence.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into the single large mold or individual molds.

Bake in a water bath for about 30 minutes for a single mold and 20 minutes for smaller individual molds.

Allow to cool and refrigerate.

Before serving, run a knife through the edge of the mold and invert onto a serving plate.

Enjoy!!

Source : Chef De Cuisine

Tips:

1. The recipe can be halved and it still works.
2. Before pouring into the caramel coated mould, cool the custard mix slightly so that it doesnt melt the caramel coating.
3. For the waterbath, place the mould in a bigger oven-proof pan/skillet and pour hot or boiling water atleast halfway up the sides of the custard mould. The waterbath helps the custard to cook uniformly without drying up.
4. Caramel custard can be also served with fresh fruits. I just served them plain with some caramel juice, which is just the way we like it! :-)
5. The caramel custard can also be cooked by steaming.
6. Make sure to add the milk to the egg-sugar mixture and not the other way around, theres a chance of the mixture appearing curdled, if you do.

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day!