Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Rosie Makes Caramel Custards With Red, White, And Blue Bites.

Happy Fourth of July!
I made the perfect Red, White, and Blue Bites for today.

Take a bunch of strawberries, slice off the bottoms so they'll sit evenly, then slice a cross in the tops (Do not slice all the way through.) and spread quarters apart.  Using a pastry bag, pipe cream cheese stuffing inside and top with a blueberry.

Cream Cheese Stuffing
1/4 stick cream cheese, softened
2 heaping TB sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Spoon mixture into the corner of a plastic sandwich bag, snip off the tip, and pipe into strawberries.
Top with blueberries.

Now, you know Rosie.  I couldn't just leave it at that.

I had some egg yolks collecting in the fridge so I needed to use those up.
I decided to go with Caramel Custards.


Rosie's Caramel Custards
 Fills 8 1-cup ramekins.

For the caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

In heavy saucepan, heat sugar and water over low heat, without stirring, until sugar is dissolved.  When temperature reaches 280° - 300°, increase heat to medium and maintain a vigil.  Caramel can turn on you in a heartbeat.  Watch it carefully.  When temperature approaches 330°, the sugar mixture will start to tan.  Lower the temperature so you have more control and watch the color change.  You want a lovely golden color which happens about 360°.  Immediately pour caramel into ramekins, turning ramekins on sides to coat.

Set ramekins into large baking dishes.

For custards:14 oz. skim milk
2 oz. heavy cream
1 TB vanilla

Rosie Note:  You could use 2 cups whole milk, but Rosie never has whole milk in her fridge.  She always has skim milk and heavy cream and the substitution for 1 cup (8 oz.) of whole milk is 7 oz. skim to 1 oz. heavy cream.

2 eggs, room temperature
4 egg yolks (1/4 cup), room temperature
2/3 cup sugar

Rosie Note: Have your eggs at room temperature.  Gives you more volume when you beat them.

Bring milk, cream, and vanilla just to boil in heavy saucepan.
 
In bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs and yolks for about a minute or two.  Slowly add in sugar while beating, for another couple of minutes, until eggs are light colored and thickened.

Whisking constantly, pour in hot milk mixture.  Let rest for a few minutes, then pour into ramekins.

Pour boiling water in baking dishes to come about 2/3 way up sides of ramekins.
Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of ramekin comes out clean.

Keep ramekins in baking dishes until the water cools.

Run a knife around top of custard to loosen, then invert onto serving platter.  After a minute, carefully remove ramekin.

Place filled strawberries on top.
 
 Ta daaaa!!!!!
 Isn't that beautiful?
 And it's delicious.
 Enjoy!


  Happy Fourth of July!

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