looking for birthday gift suggestions? This Is The Ultimate Guide To Making Delectable Caramel Custards Every Time

Caramel custard is a soft and light dessert, popular all over the world. Also called a creme caramel, caramel pudding or sometimes even flan, it’s a simple dessert to make and requires only a few basic ingredients. What matters is how well you carry out the technique and how much attention you pay to the little details. it’s a great birthday gift suggestion too. So here’s a thorough guide that talks about everything you need to know to make the perfect caramel custard.

Ingredients:

For the custard:

• 250 ml whole Milk
• 1 slice Orange peel
• ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom
• 2 large Eggs
• ¼ cup Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the caramel

• ½ cup Sugar

Optional flavors:

• 1 stick Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C or 360°F.
• In a pan, add the milk and heat on medium flame till it comes to a boil.
• Then turn off the heat and add whatever flavors you are using. This can include things like vanilla essence, an orange peel, cinnamon, cardamom or cocoa powder. Stir it a little and then set it aside so that the flavors can infuse in the hot milk.
• In another pan, add the sugar and spread it evenly all around the pan, cooking on medium heat. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan so that it spreads and melts more evenly.
• Once it has melted, pour it into the molds. Be swift with this step or the sugar might burn easily. Make sure it's still hot when you pour it. Once it cools, it will start to harden in the pan itself. If by chance it has started hardening in the pan, reheat it and let it melt and then quickly pour it into the molds.
• Swirl the mold so that the caramel spreads around evenly. Again, make sure you move fast, and do this while it's still hot and before it has had a chance to harden. Within just a few seconds, you will notice that the caramel has hardened on the sides of the mold. Set aside.
• In a bowl, add the eggs. Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well. Whisk it with strength until it is all well combined.
• Now add the milk to the egg mixture. Use a sieve to strain out whatever flavorings you have used. Mix in the milk thoroughly. The custard is now ready.
• Pour the mixture into the molds, gently and slowly. Leave a little bit of space on top to avoid spillage.
• The custard needs to be baked in a water bath. Essentially you need to take a high-rimmed tray, fill it with hot water, and then place the mold in the tray. Bake for about 30 minutes. The custard should be set but the top will still be a bit jiggly when nudged.
• Bring it out of the oven and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Once it has cooled a bit, transfer to the fridge and let it sit for about 8 hours.
• When you’re ready to unmold, dip the mold in a bowl of hot water. This will cause the custard to melt a bit and easily fall out of the mold. Now place a serving plate on the mold and flip it over. Remove the mold. The caramel custard should fall onto the plate.
• Serve cold.
• Leftover caramel custard can be stored in the fridge for a week. 

Notes, tips and tricks:

• If you want a more decadent custard, instead of using only milk, use half cream and half milk to make the custard base.
• If you heat the sugar too much it will burn and become bitter. So keep a sharp eye on the pan as the sugar heats.
• When heating the sugar, make sure you use a heavy bottom pan so that it does not burn the sugar very easily. Use a light-colored pan if possible so you can observe the changing color of the sugar and tell when your caramel is ready.
• Infuse the milk with strong flavors, especially if you want to reduce the eggy taste that will otherwise come through quite strongly. You can get as creative with the flavor options as you like. Just remember that it should be something that complements caramel.