CARAMEL IN SPANISH RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3. Put six 175ml pudding basins or eight dariole moulds into a small roasting tin and bring a kettle full of water to the boil.

  For the caramel, put the sugar and water into a small, heavy-based pan and leave over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then increase the heat to high and leave to boil rapidly, without stirring, until the syrup has turned into a brick-red caramel.

  Remove from the heat and quickly pour a little into the base of each dish, twisting to coat the bottom and slightly up the sides. Be careful because the dishes might be hot.

  Finely grate the zest from 2 of the oranges, then squeeze the juice from them all and measure 400ml into a pan. Add the orange zest and caster sugar and bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring now and then to dissolve the sugar.

  Meanwhile, put the egg yolks and whole eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together. When the orange juice comes to the boil, turn down the heat slightly and simmer rapidly for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the eggs, stirring, then strain through a fi ne sieve into a large jug.

  Pour the mixture equally into each dish and pour boiling water around them to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 20 minutes for the pudding basins, 15 minutes for the dariole moulds, then remove from the oven and lift out of the water. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, carefully invert each dish onto a small serving plate and pour some of the caramel syrup around each one. If too much caramel has stuck to the base of the pots, put them back into a small roasting tin, pour boiling water into the tin and leave until it has melted.

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1 cup sugar evenly into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet; place over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts and becomes a light golden brown. Gradually add boiling water, stirring to make a smooth syrup. Remove from heat, and carefully pour hot caramelized syrup into an ovenproof 5 1/2-cup ring mold.
• Using oven mitts to grasp edges of mold, carefully tilt mold to coat sides with caramelized syrup. Set aside to cool.
• Combine milk, remaining sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl; beat well with a wire whisk. Slowly pour custard mixture into prepared mold, being careful not to disturb the caramelized syrup in bottom of mold.
• Place mold in a 13- x 9- x 2- inch baking pan. Add warm water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in custard near edge of mold comes out clean. Transfer mold immediately to a pan of cold water; allow custard to cool completely. Remove mold from water, and chill thoroughly in refrigerator.
• Carefully run a knife around edges of custard. Invert custard onto a serving platter, and unmold. Slice and serve.