vanilla custard with caramel

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Line the bottom of a large baking dish with two layers of a dishcloth, and place 6 small ramekins on top. Have boiling water ready for the final step. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
2. Pour the water and 150g of sugar into a pot, without stirring. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then continue to cook until a light amber caramel forms, without letting it burn. Rotate the pot occasionally, without stirring. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
3. Immediately remove the pot from the heat as soon as the color is achieved, protecting your hands with oven mitts, as the caramel is very hot. Pour it into the six ramekins and let it cool. Pour boiling water into the pot to easily clean it. ⏱ ≈ 20 min
4. Split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. ≈ 3 min
5. In a saucepan, bring the milk, cream, 100g of sugar, seeds, and pod to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, discard the pod, and scrape the remaining seeds into the mixture. Then, cover to keep warm. ⏱ ≈ 10 min
6. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and yolks. Gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking or beating continuously. ≈ 4 min
7. If you wish, you can strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve to make it smoother. ≈ 3 min
8. Gently pour the cream into the ramekins, over the cooled caramel. ⏱ ≈ 20 min
9. Place the dish in the oven, then pour boiling water into the dish, around the ramekins, until it reaches just below the rim. Bake for 45 minutes. ⏱ 45 min
10. Remove the dish and let everything cool down, keeping the water in the dish for a while, then carefully remove the ramekins and allow them to cool completely. ⏱ ≈ 20 min
11. Cover the ramekins with cling film and place them in the refrigerator overnight. ⏱ 8 hr
12. Before serving, turn each ramekin over onto a plate with a quick movement. If the soufflé doesn’t release easily, run a hot knife along the edges, shake, and tap the bottom of the ramekin. ≈ 2 min