Crème Caramel

Ingredients

1. 6 Eggs

2. 1 cup Sugar

3. 4 cups Whole Milk

4. 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

5. 1 tsp. Lemon Zest

CARAMEL

1. 3/4 cup Sugar

2. 3 tb. Water

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a water bath by heating up some water until simmering.

2. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar and water for the caramel over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until dark golden brown. Do not use anything to mix the sugar, just swirl the saucepan around to mix every few minutes. Be careful because the caramel will go from dark golden brown to dark burnt brown in less than 30 seconds!

3. Pour the caramel in the Bundt pan as soon as it gets to the perfect color. Swirl the pan around to get the edges.

4. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together for about a minute. Add the milk slowly while whisking to full incorporate it. Add the vanilla paste or extract, and lemon/orange zest. Whisk thoroughly.

5. Pour the custard mixture into the Bundt pan over the caramel. Place the Bundt pan in a large baking dish. Pour the simmering water in the baking dish to create a water bath. You want about 2-3 inches of water.

6. Bake for 1 hour and 40 min give or take 10 minutes depending on your oven temperature. Flan should be firm when you jiggle it.

7. Let it cool at room temperature for about an hour. Once it has cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

8. Run the blade of a knife around the Bundt sides and in the middle. Place a large serving plate over the Bundt pan and invert into the plate. Serve cold.

Lara Khouli