Caramel Cream

Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).

Prepare the Caramel:

• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat.

• Stir until the sugar dissolves.

• Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and let it simmer until it turns into a golden amber color. Swirl the pan occasionally for even caramelization.

• Once the caramel reaches the desired color, immediately pour it into the bottoms of your ramekins or a baking dish. Swirl the ramekins to coat the bottoms evenly with caramel. Be careful as the caramel will be very hot.

Prepare the Custard:

• In a separate saucepan, heat the milk until it's warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.

• Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Strain and Pour:

• Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

• Carefully pour the custard mixture over the caramel in the ramekins or baking dish.

Bake:

• Place the filled ramekins or baking dish in a larger baking pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan, about halfway up the sides of the ramekins or baking dish, to create a water bath.

• Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven.

• Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.

Cool and Chill:

• Remove the crème caramels from the oven and carefully remove them from the water bath.

• Allow them to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to chill and set completely.

Serve:

• To serve, run a knife around the edges of each ramekin to loosen the custard.

• Place a serving plate upside down on top of a ramekin and invert it to release the crème caramel onto the plate, allowing the caramel sauce to flow over the custard.

• Repeat with remaining ramekins.

• Serve chilled and enjoy!