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Salted Caramel Pots de Crème

Source of Recipe

From "Gluten Free Baking" by Kristine Kidd


Recipe Introduction

"Rich and silky, with deep caramel flavor, these pots de crème are perfect for a special dinner. I bake these desserts in elegant pot de crème cups, so they need no garnish. If you want something on top, try a few fresh raspberries or chopped candied pecans."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ¾ cup sugar
â—¦ 1 ½ cups heavy cream
â—¦ ½ cup whole milk
â—¦ 6 large egg yolks
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ â…› teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt for sprinkling


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Place six â…”-cup or ¾-cup pots de crème cups, custard cups, or ramekins in a large roasting pan. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large glass measuring cup. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar and ¼ cup water until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling the mixture in the pan, about 6 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk (the mixture will bubble vigorously), reduce the heat to medium, and then stir with a wooden spoon until all the caramel bits dissolve. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy. Slowly add the hot caramel mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in the vanilla and kosher salt. Immediately pour the mixture into the sieve, then divide the mixture among the cups. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan with foil.

Bake the pots de crème until they're just set around the edges but still move in the center when gently shaken, about 35 minutes. Carefully remove the cups from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel over each pot de crème and serve cold.

Serves 6



• It is safest to caramelize the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan that has a light-colored interior so you can observe the color of the boiling sugar as it browns. The darker the caramel gets, the deeper the flavor will be, but be careful not to burn it.