Danish Caramel Custard Recipes

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.

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.

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.

DANISH CARAMEL POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Line 9-inch square metal pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 quarts water to boiling over high heat. Add potatoes; reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with paring knife. Drain; transfer to cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel potatoes by hand; discard peels.
• In large bowl, mix melted butter, sugar and salt. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Place in pan in single layer. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is bubbling and caramelized. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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.

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.

DANISH CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• Beat 6 egg whites and 12 egg yolks with the sugar for 15 minutes at low speed with an electric beater.
• Add the cream and vanilla.
• Melt enough brown sugar in some water to line the bottom of a baking dish.
• Pour the batter over this and bake in a hot water bath for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until set (jello like texture/jiggle) in 250F oven.
• Whip the other 6 egg whites with a little sugar until stiff but not dry.
• Spread over the dish of custard.
• Raise oven heat to 425°F.
• Return baking dish to oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

DANISH CARAMEL PUDDING (KARAMEL BUDDING)

Steps:

• To caramelize the sugar: put it in a smooth iron or aluminum saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until the sugar is melted and smoking, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; add the boiling water slowly stirring as you add to prevent lumps.
• Return it to the heat and cook 8 to 10 more minutes, to a rich brown.
• This syrup hardens on standing but can be melted over hot water.
• To make the pudding: scald the cream, mix with the sugar and pour into the egg yolks, stirring slowly.
• Add the vanilla and beat slowly until well blended and cooled.
• Whip the egg whites stiff and add to the custard.
• Put half of the caramel in a pudding mold or casserole; tilt it so as to coat the bottome and sides.
• Pour the custard in and set it in a hot water bath.
• Bake in a 325F 20 to 30 minutes or until firm.
• Let the pudding cool in the baking dish, preferably overnight.
• Add 2 tablespoons congnac to cream and whip until stiff.
• Use the extra caramel sauce and whipped cream for garnish/topping.

CREAMY CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring cream almost to a simmer. Remove from the heat. , In a bowl, beat egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and salt until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in cream. Pour into an ungreased 1-qt. baking dish. Place baking dish into a 13x9-in. baking pan. Pour hot water into baking pan to a depth of 1 in. , Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with enough brown sugar to cover the top., Broil 6-in. from the heat for 2 minutes or until sugar is melted. Serve immediately.

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.