Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 300 ml cream
- 200 ml full-cream milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1/4 cup coffee beans
- 6 free-range or organic egg yolks
- 100 g sugar
For the caramel topping:
- 6 teaspoons demerara sugar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 90ºC (190°F).
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean and coffee beans to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale and thick.
Strain the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking all the time, until the mixture thickens. Pour into six 200 ml ramekins.
Place in a baking dish lined with a tea towel (this will stop custards from getting too hot at the base of the dish), fill the baking dish with hot water to come three-quarters of the way up the side of the ramekins. Cook for 45 minutes.
When the custards are cooked, (you can gauge this by inserting a sharp knife and if it comes out clean, it is ready). Remove from oven, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of demerara sugar over each custard and heat with a gas blowtorch for a few minutes until the sugar caramelised.
