Creme Caramel

 With the festival of lights just round the corner and being the non conformist and atheist that I am...thought I would do a few different sweet dishes for the benefit of my readers.

I love dabbling with colours and at times I like to keep things simple as seen in this caramel. This two toned sweet and wobbly dish is a favourite of my younger one's. I also remember my beautiful father who always bought us the ready made "just follow the instructions" carton packs with the same while he was alive. So easy to prepare, he would buy us so many things and I always made it a point to treat him to atleast two or three of those out of the box stuff despite his high sugar/BP and cholestrol!!! Boy that man lived to eat!

If we didn't make him a jelly or a cake he would crib aloud saying..."I buy them these things but not one of them prepares anything for me." :( it was just his sarcastic way of getting his point across!) He never really indulged in any of those treats...he just wanted to see which of his four kids would actually make it for him. He would probably have just a spoonful, that's it!

 So here I am doing the real thing-take about 40 g of granulated sugar in a saucepan with 1 tbsp of water, let it be on simmer until it gets a nutty caramel colour, do not stir, just swirl or tilt your saucepan as it bubbles away and caramelizes. Switch off the flame and pour the caramel into heat resistant/ oven proof dessert bowls of choice and set them aside.

Now let us make the custard which is the yellow part of the caramel. Beat and set aside three eggs, add about 60 g of sugar to it and beat it as well with the eggs. Heat some milk say about 300 ml until it is nice and warm and pour it like so into the beaten eggs and sugar mix by constantly mixing so that the eggs won't scramble, add a tsp. of vanilla essence or the real thing vanilla pod. Once the flavour is infused, strain this mixture thoroughly and later pour them equally in the serving dessert bowls in which you had set your caramel mix.

 These dessert bowls can be neatly arranged in a tray with warm water(like a water bath) and baked in the preheated oven at 180 degress for about forty minutes or until it sets well.

 Another alternative for those who do not have an oven is to steam it by placing them in a steel dish which is placed in a large saucepan with a lid. Pour enough water just to help it to steam through.

Close the lid and ensures it steams over a simmering heat( if done on the stovetop).Check after half an hour to forty minutes if it has set. Then once it cools invert it over a plate so that it retains the shape of the dish in which it was baked or steamed. It can be served hot or can be placed in the fridge and served as a cold dessert.

This is so yummy! A lovely delicious treat for any age group!