Best Spiced Crème Caramel Recipes

CHAI-SPICED CRèME CARAMELS WITH RASPBERRIES AND PISTACHIO PHYLLO CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bring milk, cream, cardamom, peppercorns, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a boil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook granulated sugar in a dry small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirling pan (to help sugar melt evenly), until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Immediately pour caramel into ramekins, tilting to cover bottoms evenly.
• Whisk together whole egg and yolk in a large bowl. Bring spiced milk to a boil again, then add to eggs in a slow stream, whisking. Pour custard base through a fine sieve into a 2-cup measure. Add brown sugar and a pinch of salt, then stir until sugar is dissolved. Divide custard between ramekins.
• Bake custards in a water bath in middle of oven until set but still trembling slightly, about 30 minutes. (Custards will continue to set as they cool.) Remove ramekins from water and cool crème caramels on a rack. Chill, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 3 hours.
• Just before serving, run a knife around inside edges of ramekins. Arrange raspberries, open ends up, over entire surface of custards, pressing gently to adhere. Place a pistachio phyllo crisp over each ramekin and invert onto a plate, then carefully remove ramekins.

SPICED CRèME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Place six 2/3-cup to 1-cup dariole molds or ramekins in a roasting pan or baking dish. Set oven temperature to 325, and place pan of molds in oven while it heats up; remove molds when oven is completely heated. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine milk and star anise. Place over medium heat until nearly boiling, then remove from heat and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with cinnamon and 2/3 cup water. Place over low heat and stir briefly, then leave until sugar is completely dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and, without stirring, bring to a vigorous boil. Allow syrup to foam and boil until brown and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes; do not stir. (When sugar is caramelized, it will have a slight burned aroma. To check color of syrup, dip in a wooden spoon and allow syrup to drip off; caramelized syrup will be dark golden brown.)
• Pour equal amounts of syrup into each warm mold. Using tongs or oven mitts, quickly swirl caramel around to coat a little of sides as well as bottom. Fill a kettle or pan with about 2 quarts of water, and bring to a boil.
• In a small bowl, combine eggs with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Whisk until smooth. Pour milk and star anise into egg mixture, and whisk again. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or bowl, then pour equal amounts into molds. Add enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up the outsides of molds. Place pan of molds in oven and bake just until set, about 40 minutes.
• Remove molds from water bath and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, preferably overnight. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least one hour before serving. To release créme caramels from molds, immerse bottoms of molds in hot water and shake gently, then invert over individual serving plates. Arrange equal portions of berries around each créme caramel, and serve.