Creme Caramel (Custard pudding)

Step 1

Start off by making a caramel sauce by adding the 75 grams of sugar in a sauce pan with the 25 ml of water in a saucepan on medium heat. let sugar melt until its starts to color going from a translucent white color to a light blond color. as soon as the color of the caramel becomes light brown. turn the heat off and use immediately. place 4 or 5 small size ramequins on your work bench, then pour enough caramel in each ramekin (just enough to fully coat the bottom of each) . when done leave the ramequins to rest while you prepare the custard.

Step 2

in a sauce pan pour all of the milk and bring it to the boil. when the milk reach the boil turn the heat off and add the vanilla pod (sliced open) or a few drop of vanilla extract. let infuse for a few minutes.

Step 3

in a bowl add the whole eggs, the eggs yolks and the sugar. Mix vigorously using a whisk until the mix become of a creamy whitish color.

Step 4

Pour the warm milk very gently through fine mesh sieve and over the eggs and sugar mix. when all of the Milk is in, stir very gently (this is to avoid creating foam forming at the top) until all the ingredients are blended together. the custard is now ready to be used.

Step 5

This is one of the most important steps and you have to get it right as if you don't it could ruin your custard pudding and waste all of your efforts.my advice is to use a roasting pan that is just big enough to comfortably accommodate the your ramekins.- Start by preheating you oven at 180 Celsius/ 356 Fahrenheit.- Then place a roasting pan or tray in the oven keeping the oven door open and one of the oven shelf half way out so that you can place the ramekins in the pan.- Once done cover the bottom of the roasting pan with a sheet of baking paper.- Fill each of the caramel coated ramekins with the custard mix and place them in the tray.- Next, gently pour enough boiling water in the tray (avoiding splashing water in any of the ramekins) until the water reach half way up of the ramekins.- finally gently slide the oven shelf with your tray back in the oven and leave to cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 6

when cooked, leave the creme caramel to cool down for 20 minutes then place them in the fridge until they get really really cold. when ready to serve, just run a knife along the inside edge of the ramekins, turn the ramekins upside down on a plate and the creme should pop pout of its mold easily.However this is not always the case and sometimes even with the best efforts the creme caramel just refuse to pop out.So, for the best and easiest experience, I strongly recommended using disposable aluminium ramekins. they really makes that process so easy and enjoyable for everyone including kids!when using aluminium ramekins, just turn the ramekins upside down on a dessert plate and pierce the top with a knife and... voila. the creme caramel will just slide of its mold with the caramel sauce melting on either side. (this is made easy because piercing the top of the mold allow air to get in and allow the creme caramel to slide out without any resistance and trust me, this is what you want)