Vanilla Pots de Crème

Vanilla Pots de Crème
www.thelanguageofcooking.blogspot.com

This is a loose French custard recipe that translates to "Pots of Custard". It is a surprisingly easy, heavenly dessert that melts in your mouth. It is especially good with fresh berries! One bite leaves you wanting more!
 

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 egg yolks

Use 6-oz. ramekins. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Warm the cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until scalded (you'll see small bubbles on the sides of the pan). Split the vanilla bean in half, if using, and scrape the seeds into the cream.

Beat yolks and sugar together until light. Pour about a quarter of the cream (remove vanilla bean pod) into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. If you are using vanilla extract, add it now and stir. Pour mixture into 8 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with water halfway up the side of dishes. Cover with foil.
 Bake until just set, between 25 to 50 minutes. Be sure to start checking early; baking time will depend on the thickness and depth of your ramekins and baking dish . Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath. Remove, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve pots de crème directly from their ramekins, topped with fresh berries.