Serving size: Serves 8
Cuisine type: French
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Dessert
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

Perfect creme caramel

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) water
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar, extra
300ml cream
1 3/4 cups (430ml) milk

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced).
2. Stir the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Brush sides of saucepan with a wet pastry brush to remove any undissolved sugar crystals. Bring to the boil; boil uncovered, without stirring, until mixture is a deep caramel colour. Remove from heat and pour toffee into a deep 20cm round cake pan.
3. Whisk eggs, extract and extra sugar in large bowl.
4. Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to the boil. Whisking constantly, pour hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Strain mixture through a sieve into the cake pan.
5. Place the cake pan in a medium baking dish; add enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set. Remove cake pan from the baking dish; cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Using your fingers, gently ease cream caramel away from side of pan. Place serving plate on top of créme caramel, then quickly invert.
Serve with fresh strawberries, if desired.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.

Tips for the perfect créme caramel
There is a sense of great achievement once you've mastered créme caramel.

Home cooks are usually concerned about the toffee, but don't fret — it's not as tricky as you think. Use caster or regular white sugar and the amount of water we suggest.

Use a solid, heavy-based pan over medium heat. After the mixture has been stirred, sugar has dissolved and the mixture is boiling, don't leave it — watch it carefully. As soon as you see some browning, tilt the pan until the brown areas merge. Keep tilting and turning the pan until the toffee is a rich golden brown.

Remove pan from the heat, let the bubbles disappear, then pour toffee over the base of the cake pan. There is no need to coat the side of the pan or even grease it. An aluminium cake pan gives the best results for even baking the custard.
Also, by refrigerating the créme caramel overnight, the toffee breaks down and liquefies, so you'll get at least 95 per cent of the caramel out of the pan.

When you're ready to turn the créme caramel out, use your fingers to ease away from the side of the pan, gently wriggle the pan and you'll "feel" the custard floating on the caramel. Put the serving plate on top of the cake pan and then quickly invert.