Coffee and Cardamom Flavored Creme Caramel

By chris5863

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2-2/3 cups half and half
• 3/4 tablespoon instant coffee powder
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom extract
• 1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise

Details

Servings 14
Adapted from phamfatale.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Line up 14 2.75-ounce mini-ramekins. In a small saucepan, gently dissolve a little less than a cup of sugar with water. Bring to a full boil, then lower to medium-low until the caramel becomes golden brown (about 5-6 minutes). As soon as the caramel is the right golden brown color, pour a layer of caramel into each ramekin.

Using a paring knife, scrape and gather all the grains of the vanilla bean. On the stove, pour the half and half into a sauce pan. Dissolve the coffee powder into the half and half and add the grains of vanilla and the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat right away. Let the liquid cool a bit. Discard the vanilla bean.

Separately, whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs with the rest of the sugar in a mixing bowl until it becomes pale yellow. Add the cardamom extract. Combine the coffee liquid with the egg mixture by slowly adding a ladle of the coffee mixture at a time to prevent the yolks from curdling.

Strain through a fine mesh. Fill the 14 mini ramekins with the mixture. Place them in a warm water bath in a deep baking pan. The water should go half way up the side of the ramekins. Bake for 10 minutes at 300°F, then lower the heat to 275°F for 45-50 minutes. The texture of the crème caramel should be jiggly but not too liquid.

Let the crèmes cool first, then plastic-wrap each individual ramekin and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When serving, place a dessert plate onto each ramekin and turn both upside down to unmold crème caramel onto the plate.