1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. To make the caramel,
combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water in a
medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently
until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring
to a boil over high heat. When the mix starts to
caramelize and becomes a golden brown, immediately
take the caramel off the heat and add 1/4
cup cold water. (The water will spatter and foam
up, so keep your hands and arms out of harm’s
way. Adding cold water to the hot caramel now
stops the sugar from overcooking or turning too
bitter.) Return the pan to the heat and bring the
caramel back to a boil. When the second boil is
reached, take the pan from the heat and pour a 1/8-
inch layer into the bottom of six 6-ounce molds.
As soon as the molds are cool enough to handle,
brush the sides of the molds with softened butter
and sprinkle with a little additional sugar.

2. To prepare the crème, heat the milk with the
vanilla bean in a medium saucepan on medium
heat until it’s scalded, about 8 minutes. Cool for 5
minutes, and then remove the bean. (Save this vanilla
bean to make vanilla sugar or to use in another
dish.) Beat together the eggs and sugar in
a medium bowl until they’re just combined, then
add the scalded milk, whisking gently as you add
the milk so the eggs don’t scramble.

3. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve
into the molds while the custard is still warm (between
110 and 120°F). Set the molds in a deep baking
dish and place the baking dish on your oven
rack. Add enough boiling water to rise about half
way up the sides of the mold. Place a cookie sheet
or aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish
to prevent a skin from forming.

4. Cook the custards in the water bath (bainmarie)
until they’re just set, 35 to 40 minutes, or
until the custards jiggle slightly in the middle.
Remove them from the bain-marie and cool for
2 to 3 hours. These are best when served cold.

5. To serve, turn the custards out onto plates;
there’s no need to run a knife around them to release
them from the molds.

Add "CIA's Creme Caramel" to your Favorite Recipes Book

Remove "CIA's Creme Caramel" from your Favorite Recipes Book

Add "CIA's Creme Caramel" to your shopping list

Remove "CIA's Creme Caramel" from your shopping list

Submit your own recipe

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.