Mary Berry’s custard puddings are inspired by a French classic

Creamy puddings are the ultimate chocolate alternative but can be hard to master when making them from scratch.

This French-inspired recipe by Mary Berry is unlike most, however, with just five ingredients and little preparation time required.

Sharing her recipe for “classic creme caramel” on the Great British Bake Off, Mary revealed her secret tips for picture-perfect results.

Her expert method comprises two simple components; caramel and custard, to make what the baking icon calls a “rich” dessert.

It’s versatile too, with the option to make individual pots or a larger sharing dish of the decadent French dish.

Method

First, preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2, grease six 150ml ramekins inside (or use a 1.2-litre dish), and keep them in the oven until the caramel is made so they stay warm.

To make the caramel, combine 160g of sugar and six tablespoons of water in a clean, stainless steel pan. Mary warned: “Do not use a non-stick pan to make the caramel, it will not work, it will crystallize.”

Dissolve the sugar slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon over low heat, then, when there are no sugar granules left, stop stirring and boil until the sugar turns a dark copper colour.

Immediately remove the caramel from the heat to ensure it does not burn, then quickly pour it into the warmed ramekins (or large dish).

Set the caramel aside to cool and become hard but do not put it in the fridge because the sugar will absorb moisture and go soft and tacky, urged Mary.

Once hard, butter the sides of the ramekins above the level of the caramel and make a start on the custard. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and caster sugar together in a bowl until well mixed. 

According to Mary, two extra egg yolks can be added to the custard for a “richer” flavour.

Next, pour the milk into a saucepan, gently heat over low heat until you can dip your finger in for a moment, then strain the milk through a fine sieve into the egg mixture bowl.

Whisk together until smooth, then gently transfer the mixture to the prepared ramekins. Stand the ramekins or large dish in a roasting tin and fill the tin half-way with boiling water from a kettle.

Cook small ramekins in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or 40-45 if using a large dish to allow the custard to set. Mary warned: “Do not overcook the custard – check around the edges of the dishes, to make sure no bubbles are appearing.”

When set, remove the crème caramels from the oven, take the ramekins from the tray and set them on a cooling rack. When cool, transfer to the fridge overnight so that the caramel is absorbed into the custard.

To serve, loosen the sides of the custard by tipping the ramekin and loosen with a small palette knife around the edges. Place a serving dish on top of the ramekin and turn upside down.