A Special Night

Christmas is just around the corner and who can really believe that it has come around so quickly. I barely feel like I've gotten the hang of this year and now it's almost over.

Last night we put up our Christmas tree and I always like to make a nice meal to have to make the event just a bit more special. We enjoyed a family favourite Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and for dessert I made creme caramel again adapted from a french book I have. The amazing thing about this is that, besides being incredibly easy, it doesn't taste like rice milk. I have actually made this for visitors who had no idea that it didn't contain dairy until I told them!

Creme Caramel
Ingredients

Caramel

• 125g caster sugar

Custard

• 625ml rice milk (or other milk of choice)
• 125g caster sugar
• 1/3 vanilla pod split open(or 1/2 tsp vanilla essense)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 egg yolks

Method

1. Place sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until it dissolves and starts to turn into caramel. Swirl the pan so that it cooks evenly. Remove from heat and carefully add 2 tablespoons of water to stop it cooking. 
2. divide between six 125ml ramekins or pour into a large ring tin and leave to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 180℃
4. Put milk and vanilla pod into saucepan and bring almost to the boil.
5. Mix together eggs and sugar in a large bowl.
6. Strain the milk over the egg mixture and stir thoroughly.
7. Pour into ramekins or tin and place into a roasting pan.
8. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
9. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the top looks set and it feels firm (kind of like a set jelly)
10. Remove from roasting tin and leave to cool for approx 15 mins
11. Run a knife around the inside of the mould and invert onto a serving plate.

So I think the bubbles mean that I've done something bad, like whisked it too much. But I put it down to the lack of cream.

Mmmm... Custardy goodness.