The creme of the crop

Treat yourself to a classic French recipe – all you need are eggs, cream, sugar … and this simple how-to guide

THERE’S something soothing and rather special about sinking your spoon into a silky creme caramel. These tips will help you dish up a dessert that’s guaranteed to delight.

1. Start with your caramel. Melt the sugar in the water by heating gently. When it’s all dissolved, turn up the heat and boil until it’s lovely and golden.

Don’t stir the mixture, just give the pan a shake and swirl as it’s bubbling away to get it all mixed and evenly golden.

2. As soon as it’s deep golden, take it off the heat and pour into your ramekins or moulds. If you’re not quick, the caramel will keep cooking and might burn.

Swirl each one round to really coat the bottom of the dish. 3. Heat your cream in a saucepan with some vanilla seeds. Let it cool a little while you beat together your eggs and sugar.

Pour the warm cream over your egg yolks, stirring constantly as you go, trying not to get too many bubbles.

4. Take the vanilla pod out of the custard and strain it through a sieve into a big jug. This gets rid of any stringy bits of egg so your custard is silky smooth.

Make sure your ramekins are sitting in a roasting tray and pour the custard carefully on top of the caramel. Do it slowly so you keep the layers separate.

5. Pour boiling water into the tray to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This is called a bain marie and it’ll cook the custard nice and gently so it doesn’t scramble.

Bake them in the oven (180C) for 15-20 minutes. You want them to be just set.

6. When they’re cooked, allow them to cool and then put them in the fridge for at least 30-40 minutes. Gently press the top of each to help them slide out.

Turn each one upside down on a plate and slip out neatly onto the plate.