This is one of my favorite recipes ever. The salty-sweet caramel custard is silky smooth and extra special when you added whipped cream and caramel popcorn to the top. The trick is to watch the caramel carefully — it can get too dark very quickly, so don’t take your eyes off of it. The result is totally worth it, though. After one bite, I think you’ll agree!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- Sweetened whipped cream and caramel popcorn for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange four 4-ounce ramekins in a metal baking pan with high sides. Set aside.
- Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook just until it bubbles around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Combine the sugar, salt and 1/4 cup water in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat and swirl until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, without stirring, brushing the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals, until the sugar mixture is amber in color, about 8 minutes.
- Immediately and carefully pour in the cream, whisking, until the caramel is dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with a handheld mixer until pale in color. Slowly pour in the cream mixture while whisking constantly. Strain the mixture through a fine wire-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. Carefully divide the mixture among the ramekins.
- Pour hot water into the pan around the outsides of the ramekins until the water reaches halfway up the sides. Place in the oven and bake until the custards are set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until set, 3 to 4 hours.
- To serve, garnish each pot de crème with whipped cream and caramel popcorn, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 559 |
| Total Fat | 47 g |
| Saturated Fat | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 29 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 318 mg |
| Sodium | 158 mg |