Caramelized Baked Custards Recipes

CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, cook and stir 3/4 cup sugar over low heat until sugar is melted and golden. Pour into eight 6-oz. custard cups, tilting to coat bottom of cup; let stand for 10 minutes. , In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and remaining sugar until blended but not foamy. Pour over caramelized sugar. , Place the cups in two 8-in. square baking pans. Pour very hot water in pans to a depth of 1 in. Bake at 350° until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks. , To unmold, run a knife around rim of cup and invert onto dessert place. Serve warm or chilled.

EASY CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix 1 tablespoon water into 1/4 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar is completely moistened. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the sugar and water form a golden brown syrup, about 5 minutes. Do not stir. Remove from heat and let boiling subside. Carefully stir 1 tablespoon hot water into caramel syrup.
• Whisk milk and 5 tablespoons sugar together in a saucepan over low heat; heat just until warmed and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk eggs into milk mixture. Pour caramel syrup into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Pour egg-milk mixture over syrup. Place pan into a larger baking dish and pour enough water into outer pan to reach about 1/2 inch up the sides of the inner pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until custard has set, about 45 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes; chill in refrigerator before serving.

CARAMELIZED BAKED CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a saucepan, heat cream and liqueur until bubbles form around sides of pan; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until blended but not foamy. Slowly stir in hot cream mixture. Stir in vanilla., Place six 6-oz. broiler-safe ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Pour cream mixture into ramekins. Place pan on oven rack; add very hot water to pan to within 1/2 in. of tops of ramekins., Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean; centers will still be soft. Immediately remove ramekins from water bath to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cold., To caramelize topping with a kitchen torch, sprinkle custards evenly with remaining sugar. Hold torch flame about 2 in. above custard surface and rotate it slowly until sugar is evenly caramelized. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour., To caramelize topping in a broiler, place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle custards evenly with remaining sugar. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 5-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour.

CARAMELIZED WINTER FRUIT CUSTARDS

Steps:

• For spiced chiffon muffins:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 9 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Sift flour and next 5 ingredients twice into medium bowl. Mix 6 tablespoons lukewarm water with vanilla in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with water mixture in 2 additions, beating batter until blended after each addition.
• Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until firm glossy peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup.
• Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool muffins in pan on rack at least 20 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Return muffins to muffin pan; cover and store at room temperature.
• For caramelized winter fruit:
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar over butter in skillet, then place apple slices and pear slices in single layer (if possible) atop sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until fruit is golden on bottom, pressing out to single layer as fruit cooks and reduces in volume, about 8 minutes. Turn fruit over in skillet and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add cranberries and cook until juices in skillet are reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
• For custard:
• Heat half and half in heavy large saucepan over medium heat just until heated through and bubbles form at edge of pan. Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and sea salt in medium bowl; whisk in cornstarch.
• Gradually add hot half and half to yolk mixture and whisk until blended. Return custard to same saucepan; stir over medium heat until custard boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter, then 2 tablespoons brandy. Remove from heat.
• Brush top of muffins several times with remaining 4 tablespoons brandy until absorbed. Place 1 muffin in each of 8 bowls, cups, or dessert glasses. Divide caramelized fruit among bowls. Spoon warm custard over muffins and fruit in bowls (about 1/3 cup for each). Chill at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

CARAMEL CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until deep amber, about 7 minutes. Carefully whisk in milk and cream.
• Whisk together yolks, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly pour caramel-milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Skim any bubbles from the top. Divide evenly among four 6-ounce ramekins.
• Set ramekins in a 9-inch square baking dish. Pour boiling water into dish to come a third of the way up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set but jiggle slightly, 27 to 30 minutes. Remove from water using tongs. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

BAKE-AHEAD CARAMEL CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil.
• Make caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Cook over medium-high, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup turns golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully add half-and-half (mixture may clump and sputter); simmer, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until pale yellow and thick. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, gradually add caramel. Skim any foam from surface of custard mixture.
• Divide mixture among six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Line a baking pan (just large enough to hold ramekins) with a dish towel; place ramekins on dish towel. Transfer to oven, and pour enough boiling water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins; cover pan loosely with foil.
• Bake custards just until set but slightly wobbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Carefully remove ramekins from pan. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours (or, covered, up to 3 days). Garnish with toffee before serving.

BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Place cups in 13x9-inch pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups (see box, below).
• Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water. Cool about 30 minutes. Unmold and serve warm, or refrigerate and unmold before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, mixing until smooth.
• Pour into six ramekin dishes or custard cups.
• Sprinkle with nutmeg.
• In a large baking dish filled half-way up with water, place custard cups.
• Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted into middle of one of the custards.
• Refrigerate until serving time.

SALTED CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place 6 (6.5 ounce) ramekins in a baking dish.
• Place sugar evenly in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, allow sugar to slowly melt around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. When edges start to bubble, shake and swirl pan to dissolve remaining sugar but without stirring it. Keep pan moving until you have a clear, dark caramel, about 10 minutes. When sugar is completely dissolved, whisk in cream; caramel will cool into a lump; this is normal. Keep stirring over medium heat until caramel melts and mixture comes up to temperature and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat
• Stir in kosher salt, vanilla, and cold milk; mix well.
• Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in a ladleful of caramel/milk mixture to the yolks. Add 2 more ladlefuls, one at a time. Then mix in the remainder of the caramel/milk mixture to the yolks, whisking until thoroughly blended.
• Divide custard mixture evenly among the ramekins. Carefully pour into the baking dish enough water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the filled ramekins.
• Bake in preheated oven until custard is set and the top of custard jiggles evenly across the surface, 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins and how full they are). If the center seems looser than the edges, continue to bake another minute or so.
• Transfer ramekins to a cooling rack; cool to room temperature. Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour until they are very cold.
• Serve topped with a pinch of light, flaky sea salt.

CARAMELIZED BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 1 quart baking dish or 4 ramekins.
• Fill a 9x13 pan (or any shallow pan large enough to hold the baking dish) with 1 inch of hot water and set it in the oven.
• **To caramelize the sugar: Melt the sugar in a heavy bottomed skillet without stirring. Swirl the sugar in the pan as it melts till caramel colored.
• Pour about 1 tablespoons caramelized sugar into each ramekin, or all into baking dish and quickly swirl around to coat bottom and partly up sides.
• The caramel will harden, but the custard will soften it as it bakes.
• Beat the eggs together, then add the sugar and salt.
• Slowly stir in the hot milk, stirring constantly.
• Add the vanilla and coconut, if using.
• Strain into the baking dish (if desired).
• I usually just pour it all inches.
• Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
• Put into the pan with hot water.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

BAKED CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns to liquid and begins to caramelize. Pour into 6 custard cups, shaking cups to make sure the sugar is evenly distributed. Don't touch the sugar because it will be very hot.
• Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour into each custard cup. Fill a large baking pan with 1-inch of hot water. Place custard cups in the water bath and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until just set. Cool in the baking pan until they reach room temperature. Remove from water bath and chill. To serve, quickly turn each cup over onto an individual serving plate. The sugar will have turned into a delicious syrupy glaze. For an extra treat, serve with fruit and whipped cream.

CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Bring 1/2 cup sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons water to boil in a small, heavy saucepan, slowly swirling the pan by its handle until sugar has dissolved completely and liquid is perfectly clear. Continue to boil, swirling the pan frequently, until sugar turns a caramel brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour the hot caramel into a 6-cup charlotte mold or souffle dish and turn in all directions to film bottom and sides. Set aside until ready for use. If desired, individual ramekins may be used. When the sugar is caramelized, pour into 6 individual ramekins and swirl to coat as above.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat the milk to simmering in a small, heavy saucepan. Slit the vanilla bean (if using) with a knife and scrape the seeds into the milk. Add the shell to the milk and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the bean.
• Meanwhile, in a 2 1/2-quart mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the yolks with a wire whisk or electric mixer; gradually beat in the remaining sugar. When mixture is light and foamy, beat in milk in a very thin stream (beat in vanilla extract if using). Strain through a fine sieve into the prepared mold or souffle dish.
• Set in a hot-water bath and bake in lower third of the oven for 40 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when stuck in the center of the custard. Check the water from time to time to make sure it never comes to a boil; adjust heat if necessary. This will insure a smooth custard.
• To serve warm, let settle for 10 minutes in a pan of cold water. Turn a warm serving dish upside down over custard, then reverse to unmold. To serve cold, let cool to room temperature; chill several hours, then unmold.