Creamy Caramel Custard: Valentine's Day Special for your partner

Valentine Day, brings with it so much love, Love for our loved ones, Love for shopping, Love for gifting and moreover that extra effort we put to make this day extra special for our loved ones. Apart from the shopping, gifting the most crucial part of a good time is enjoying a meal with your loved one, Extra brownie points if you cook up a meal for them. So this series will have a few recipes that need minimal effort yet it will make that little effort extra special for you!!!!!

These recipes are fairly simple, so to the guys too try them for your beloved I am sure she will like it :) 

Lets get started with the first recipe of this series.

 Creamy Caramel Custard. 

Caramel custard, also known as flan or crème caramel. 

Ingredients

Caramel:

Granulated Sugar: 150 gms

Water

Custard

Condensed Milk: 1 can (approximately 400gms, per can)

Full Fat Whole Milk: 2 cans ( I use the condensed milk can to measure)

Eggs: 3 nos ( at room temperature)

Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Nutmeg: 1/4 tsp

Garnish

Strawberries: 7-8

Sugar: 50 gms

Water: 100 ml

Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp

Method

Caramel: 

• In a saucepan add sugar and let this dissolve on low heat, Keep stirring occasionally this process will ensure that the heat is evenly distributed.
•  When the mixture dissolve and turns golden in color add little water to avoid the caramel from burning. 
• The sauce will start to boil, when it is golden brown turn of the heat
• Pour the hot caramel in the ramekins or the baking pan and coat all the sides of the pan by turning pan. 
• Keep the pans aside. 

* While handling caramel, don't check with your bare fingers, A Caramel burn can be very nasty

Custard:

• Preheat the oven at 160°C
• Boil milk and let it cool to room temperature.
• In a huge bowl mix milk, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla extract and nutmeg
• Use a blender to mix these ingredients together. Making a creamy frothy mixture
• Pass this mixture through a sieve and pour in the caramel coated ramekins or the baking pan. 
• Place this ramekins or baking pan in a water bath* and cover the ramekins with aluminium foil.
• Bake for an hour or until a knife comes out clean.
• Refrigerate for 6 hrs
• Run a knife around the edges of the ramekin and demould

*Water Bath: A Water bath is a bigger baking tray which is half filled with hot water. The purpose of a water bath is to ensure that the heat is uniformly distributed and the custard cooks slowly.

Garnish

•  In a sauce pan heat sugar and water and make a consistent sugar syrup, add halved strawberries. Let this mixture sit for half n hour.
• Strain the mixture.
• Decorate with strawberries. 

Wonderful dessert for Valentines Day!!!!!