You can add a little liqueur to this dessert if you like, but it is equally delicious without it.
ingredients
serves 6
2 vanilla pods
4 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 tbsp almond or orange liqueur
1/3 cup soft light brown sugar
method
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Place six 1/2 cup ramekins in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish and set aside.
2. With a sharp knife, split the vanilla pods lengthways. Scrape the black seeds into a medium saucepan and add the pods. Add the cream and bring just to the boil over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cover. Set aside to stand for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the vanilla to infuse the cream.
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, superfine sugar and liqueur until well blended. Whisk in the hot cream and strain into a large jug. Divide the custard equally among the ramekins.
4. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the tin with foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the custards are just set. Remove the ramekins from the tin and leave to cool. Return to the dry roasting tin and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat the grill. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the surface of each custard and grill for 30 - 60 seconds until the sugar melts and caramelizes. (Do not let the sugar burn or the custard curdle.) Place in the fridge again to set the crust and chill completely before serving.
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more information
To test whether the custards are ready, push the point of a knife into centre of one- if it comes out clean the custards are cooked.
