Crème caramel is one of my favorite desserts. It’s basically a rich custard with a layer of soft caramel. I dressed this one up with a little espresso powder and cardamom.
Making these desserts reminded me of my childhood. My mom would tell me every day not to eat anything before dinner, but after coming home from school, I would always make a beeline to the refrigerator when she wasn’t looking. I would get one crème caramel, flip it onto a plate, and let the delicious caramel flow in every direction. It didn’t last very long; I would inhale the dessert and lick all the caramel off the plate before I got caught. You would think that I wouldn’t really have enjoyed the dessert because I ate it so fast, but there was something thrilling (and delicious) about sneaking a bite without anyone knowing. Maybe that’s why I named my site Pham Fatale. I’ve been in the (food) espionage business for a long time!
These covert operations inevitably would make me too full for dinner. I know I was a terrible child! My parents always wondered why I never ate, and have probably been unaware of my antics until now. Sorry Mom!
I think, in America, crème caramel and flan can be used interchangeably.
1. Info for Coffee and Cardamom Flavored Creme Caramel
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
- Servings: 14
- Calories: 280 kcal
2. Ingredients for Coffee and Cardamom Flavored Creme Caramel
- 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
3. Directions:
- 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.
- Bon appétit!