Frozen Crème Caramel

Chill out with this Frozen Creme Caramel—a delightful combo of creamy custard and caramelized sweetness. This cool twist on a classic treat offers a refreshing take on elegance, creating a unique and unforgettable frozen dessert experience.

What you need for Frozen Crème Caramel:

For the custard:

• 1 ⅔ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk
• One vanilla bean split and seeds scraped
• One egg
• Three egg yolks
• ⅓ cup sugar
• pinch of salt

For the caramel:

• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water and 3 Tb

Split a vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds, and add them to a saucepan. Add the heavy cream and milk, then slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once it starts simmering, remove it from heat, strain it to catch the vanilla beans, and let it stand covered for 10 minutes. Remove the top skin that formed at the surface while cooling, which will have most of the vanilla seeds trapped in it.
While the cream and milk are cooling, separate the three egg yolks, then whisk with the egg in a medium bowl over an ice bath. Slowly add the cream mix while whisking, then set aside.
Prepare a baking dish with 4-5 ramekins (here, I have a variety of 4 and 8 ounces sizes).

Make the caramel:
In a saucepan, combine the ⅓ cup sugar with the ¼ cup water and simmer over medium heat.
Keep simmering until you get a golden brown color (about 10-12 minutes). Be careful not to burn the sugar! Carefully add the 3 Tb water and keep simmering until you get a syrupy thickness.
Get oven mittens and pour enough caramel into each ramekin to coat the bottom. Swirl it around to evenly coat the bottom, using a pastry brush if the caramel gets too thick.
Arrange the caramel-coated ramekins in the baking dish and let them cool for 10 minutes.
Fill each ramekin with the custard for about ¾ inch thickness. If there’s still left, distribute it evenly among the dishes.
Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish to reach about half the ramekin height. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes in a 300F (150C) oven.
Remove the foil and let them cool to room temperature in the water for about 30 minutes. 5:05 – Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours, then place in freezer for 6 hours.
Uncover and thaw custards for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. Slide a knife around the semi-frozen custards and invert them onto the plates.
You can make the custards and freeze for one week ahead.