Caramel Custard

If you ask me some of my favourite desserts, then caramel custard will there up there in the top 5. I remember having this from the time I was a kid. Mom used to make it and we all loved having it. After I started cooking on my own, I also figured out how to make this in a much easier way and to make it more creamier as well.

I usually bake the caramel custard in a water bath in the oven. However, you can steam these as well. It’s actually a beautiful sight when you invert the cooked custard onto a serving plate and the golden caramel oozes out spreading all over the cream caramel!

Few things to keep in mind

• Preparing the Caramel: Before you start making the caramel, grease the dish / ramekin bowls in which you plan to cook the custard with some butter. Once the caramel is made, pour it into the prepared dish(es) and spread it all around while hot. The caramel will slowly thicken as it cools down.
• Baking/Steaming the Custard: If you are baking the custard, boil water and keep it ready. Cover the dish(es) with the custard mix with aluminium foil and put it in a larger baking tray. Pour the hot water in this tray till it covers about half the height of the custard dish(es). Put this into the preheated oven for baking. This is called baking in a water bath. If you are steaming the custard, pour hot water in a larger vessel or cooker. Place a stand in it and keep the dish with the custard (covered with an aluminium foil) on the stand. Cover the steamer and let it cook till the edges look done, but the centre is a little jiggly.

Recipe

Ingredient List

• Sugar (for caramelizing) – 1 cup (200 gms)
• Hot Water – ½ cup (120 ml)
• Condensed Milk – 1 tin (400 gms)
• Milk – 1 tin, measured in the condensed milk tin
• Eggs – 2
• Vanilla Essence – 2 tsp

Step by Step Process

1. In a pan, slowly melt the sugar for caramelizing. When completely melted, it will start changing it’s color into golden brown and start frothing. As it froths, reduce the heat and add the hot water carefully. Take it off heat and keep aside.
2. Grease the dish(es) in which the caramel custard has to be baked. Pour the caramel into it and spread well on all sides.
3. In a blender, pour the condensed milk, milk, eggs and vanilla essence and blend till well combined. Pour this mix slowly into the prepared dish, so that the caramel is not disturbed.
4. In a tray, pour boiling water and place the dish(es) into it. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil. Bake this in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C till the top is set, but yet slightly jiggly. In the video, I have mentioned 180C, but cooking this at 200C works better. It will take anywhere between 1 hour to 1.5 hours for the custard to cook depending on the thickness of the same. Keep it to cool. (See Recipe Notes above)
5. Once cooled, invert it onto a serving dish.
6. The caramel custard can be made in individual ramekins as well and served.