Recipe Theft: Caramel Pots de Crème from CaffeIna

The most dangerous thing that someone who has come to terms with their aversion to chocolate can do is to befriend someone who bakes well and also dislikes the brown stuff. Why? Because they know all the recipes that don't use chocolate and will end up liking another amazing confection. Maybe even caramel. Maybe as much as I love caramel.

This is true of the woman who is behind a blog called CaffeIna.Her name is Sara and she's a redhead and Italian. When Hubby teases me about being born in France and having a Belgian mother but still not liking chocolate, I point to Sara. She doesn't like it either. And she's Italian. I am justified.

 The title of this recipe as seen on the CaffeIna blog is, "Satisfying My Caramel Cravings with Caramel Pots de Crème." When I was looking through my reading list and saw that title, I groaned because I know the feeling. Caramel is my chocolate. Instead of bookmarking the page like I normally do, I just hit print and put it in the kitchen, knowing I'd be making it sooner than later.

Yesterday ended up being sooner. I was in there anyhow baking other things for the group that comes over every Saturday night so it made sense to add one more pot to to the stack in the sink. Plus, I had seen a container of whipping cream in the fridge that I knew needed to get used up and I had extra egg yolks from another dish waiting to be used. All the planets were aligned.

And aligned they remained right up until the point where I took the whipping cream container out and realized that there wasn't even a quarter cup in there. The half and half container yielded another half cup but I still remained 1 1/4 cups short of some sort of heavy cream.

I know how to swear in four languages, Italian not being one of them. I went through at least three as I expressed my frustration and then proceeded with the dessert, supplementing 2% Lactaid milk for the missing cream. Fingers were crossed.

The sugar/water mixture is heated to a nice dark amber color and then the hot milk (I'm not going to mention the fact that I let the milk boil over by mistake) is poured into the mixture VERY carefully. Sara mentions that it will bubble a lot at the beginning. She's serious. It bubbles a lot. Be ready, take it easy, and take it slow.

After the two hot liquids are fully incorporated, whisk them into the egg yolks, starting with a little at a time so the yolks don't cook and make solids. Pass them through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and refrigerate. I got to that point an things were looking good. Could this actually work with 2% milk? I was hoping.

This is when the oven needs to be cranked up. Once the caramel cream is fully cooled, it gets ladled into ramekins and baked (you'll have to visit CaffeIna to see the method). When the baking is done, refrigerate overnight. I had the ramekins on a rack late last night and Hubby walked through, asking when they'd be cooled enough to eat. He was a bit disgruntled to learn that he'd have to wait a day (he got over it).

Fast forward to this afternoon and our return home from church and lunch. I took out a ramekin and grated a little very, very milky chocolate on top (the darker, the grosser). And took a bite. Wanting to get a second opinion before I wrote and weighed in, I took the custard down to Hubby in his man cave and asked him what he thought. "It's good," he said without thinking after the first bite. Then he took a second and said, "Wow. It's really good."

"I'm not getting that back, am I?" I asked as I watched my dessert disappear. "The only problem I can see," he replied, "is that this little dish is just a teaser. Where's the rest." I went back upstairs and got out another ramekin, settling down to enjoy it in peace and quiet.

This is the best caramel custard I've ever had in my life. It is silky, smooth, even sensual. The flavor is perfect; caramely and sweet without being cloying or overpowering. I was in heaven and savored every single bite. I will serve this as dessert for my next dinner party, which means I need to plan one soon so I can have it again.

My friends, if I can use 2% Lactaid and boil it over and still have this dish turn out as heavenly as it did, anyone can make it. Don't be intimidated by the fact that the name of the dessert is foreign and has an accent mark over it. All that means is that you're supposed to clear your throat when you say "crème." Head to CaffeIna's site, print the recipe and make it. You'll be very happy you did, trust me.

Tell Sara I sent you.