Brazilian Coffee Custard Crème De Café Recipes

COFFEE-CARDAMOM POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Put the coffee beans and cardamom pods in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off several times to roughly chop -- not grind -- them. Turn the chopped beans and pods into a medium saucepan and add 1/2 cup of the sugar. Put the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the sugar starts to melt. Once the sugar has melted, continue to cook, still stirring without stop, until the sugar caramelizes -- you want the color of the caramel to be deep amber, almost mahogany. Now, standing away from the stove so you don't get splattered, slowly pour in 1 cup of the cream and the milk. Don't panic -- the caramel will immediately seize and harden, but it will all smooth out as the liquids warm and the sugar melts again. Bring the mixture to a boil and, when the sugar has melted and everything is smooth again, pull the pan from the heat. Cover the pan (we do this with plastic wrap at the cafe to get a good seal) and allow the mixture to infuse for 20 minutes.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Working in a bowl that's large enough to hold all the ingredients, whisk the yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar together until the mixture is pale and thick. Strain the coffee-cardamom liquid into a measuring cup (discard the beans and pods) and add enough heavy cream to bring the liquid up to 2 cups. Very gradually and very gently -- you don't want to create air bubbles -- whisk the liquid into the egg mixture; skim off the top foam, if there is any.
• Arrange six 4-ounce espresso or custard cups in a small roasting pan, leaving an even amount of space between them, and fill each cup nearly to the top with the custard mixture. Carefully slide the pan into the oven; then, using a pitcher, fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the espresso cups. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (don't worry -- it can stand the heat) and poke two holes in two opposite corners. Bake the custards for about 40 minutes, or until the edges darken ever so slightly and the custards are set but still jiggle a little in the center when you shake them gently.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the custards sit in the water bath for 10 minutes. Peel off the plastic wrap, lift the cups out of the water, and cool the custards in the refrigerator. (The pots de creme can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator; when they are cool, cover them with plastic wrap.)
• To serve: The pots de creme are at their best at room temperature, so remove them from the refrigerator and keep them on the counter for about 20 minutes before serving.
• To drink: A deluxe cream sherry, perhaps a Pedro Ximenez

COFFEE POT DE CREME

Steps:

• In a heavy bottom saucepan, bring heavy cream, milk and half the sugar to scald.
• Meanwhile, add the other half of the sugar to the yolks and whisk together well. Take saucepan off of the heat and temper a small amount of the hot milk to the yolks, whisking constantly.
• Pour the tempered yolks into the hot milk. Add the dissolved espresso powder. Pour through a fine strainer.
• Pour into ramekins. Set ramekins onto a baking pan and fill pan with 1 inch of water.
• Set baking pan with ramekins in 300 degree F oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until
• edges of custard are set and middle is liquid.
• Let cool completely before refrigerating. Serve with chocolate wafers.

FLAN DE CAFE (COFFEE CARAMEL CUSTARD)

Steps:

• In a small, heavy frying pan, heat the 3/4 cup sugar over medium-low heat until it begins to dissolve. Shake the pan slightly, but do not stir, until all the sugar has melted, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat and stir the sugar as it begins to bubble and take on color.
• When the sugar is a dark, caramel color, pour into a 6-cup charlotte mold or souffle dish and quickly turn in all directions, tipping the mold or dish from side to side until the surface -- the bottom -- and about 2 inches up the sides is lightly coated with the caramel. If the caramel thickens before it reaches this point, then heat the mold over a low flame until the caramel runs more smoothly.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Place the milk, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve sugar. Continue boiling -- being careful the mixture doesn't boil over -- until the milk has reduced by about half a cup, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and coffee powder, and set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and yolks together; when the milk is tepid, stir the eggs into the milk. Pour through a strainer into the prepared mold or dish; set in a hot-water bath and bake in the lower third of the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until custard is set and a knife comes out clean; cooking times vary with the depth of the mold. Set aside to cool completely before refrigerating; the flan should be served chilled. To unmold, carefully insert a blunt, thin metal spatula around the rim of the custard and gently tip the mold from side to side to see if it is loose. If the caramel on the bottom of the pan has hardened, place in a pan of hot water to loosen and test again. Unmold into a serving dish.