Room for dessert? An Italian creme caramel

This week's recipe comes from "Italian Desserts and Pastries", published in 1974 and another gift from generous Aunt. The inscription in this one says that the translator has confused 'marinated' with 'macerated' but I haven't found it yet!

It's a sizeable compendium, with recipes from Breakfast (Granny's Bun Ring anyone?) to After Theatre (mainly alcoholic, I'm sure they'll be making an appearance here at some point), as well as covering the four seasons and a number of special occasions, feasts and festivals. The instructions are minimal but easy to follow and the photos are wonderful, such as this Friit Salad Flan in the Midday section*:

*please note fruit salad is not a dessert

I chose creme caramel (in the book as cream caramel) because it's in the summer section and one of the Bearded Argentinian's favourite desserts.

Ingredients:

1 pint of whole milk

1/2 a vanilla stick

2 medium eggs

4 medium egg yolks

150g sugar

Method:

- Make the caramel by gently heating 50g of the sugar with a couple of tablespoons of water in a heavy based pan Stir until all the sugar dissolves then turn the heat right down and wait for it to turn red-gold in colour.

- Carefully pour the caramel into your pudding tin or mould, making sure to get some up the sides.

- Heat the milk with the vanilla stick, removing from the heat as soon as it bubbles up to boiling point and leave to cool.

- Beat the eggs, egg yolks and the rest of the sugar (100g) together until they increase in volume.

- Gradually add the cooled milk, stirring vigorously.

- Place the mould in a bain-marie - ie a large pan half filled with boiling water - and make sure it's stable before pouring the egg mixture into the mould. First time I did this the mould fell over and I lost all the yummy mixture into the water and had to start again :(

- Cook in the oven at 160C for about 50 minutes until the mixture is thick and elastic (which I checked by eating a bit from the middle - it'll be on the bottom remember, no one will know!)

- Chill thoroughly (overnight if you have time) and unmould just before serving, making sure the caramel drips down the sides. This unmoulded very easily but the shape was nothing like a rabbit...

... It was, however, absolutely delicious! 

The same recipe can be used to make individual creme caramels in ramekins (or saved GU pots), which would be easier to handle than a wobbly rabbit mould and can be cooked in a roasting tin half filled with boiling water - just cook for half the time.

Buon apetito!