Cook Calm

  Tips  For Best Making Caramel Pudding

Craving a creamy, decadent dessert that's surprisingly simple to make? Look no further than caramel pudding! This classic treat features a smooth custard base nestled beneath a rich caramel layer. While seemingly straightforward, perfecting the perfect pudding can take a few tricks. In this guide, we'll unveil the secrets to achieving a luxuriously textured custard, a flawless caramel sauce, and foolproof techniques to ensure your puddings emerge flawlessly from their molds. Get ready to transform your kitchen into a haven for homemade caramel pudding!

NGREDIENTS USED IN CARAMEL PUDDING

SUGAR

Since we are going to dissolve the sugar in the milk, you can honestly use any type of sugar be it granulated, castor or even powdered. Whatever you have at hand works. I have used this caster sugarsugar

 CUSTARD POWDER

A lot of brands nowadays sell custard powder. You can pick whatever is the most accessible to you. I have used misspelled here for my caramel custard. Key factor to always remember while preparing custard is always mixing the powder with a liquid base. You can mix with little milk and then make a slurry and then mix it in the saucepan with the remaining ingredients.

VINEGAR

To make a perfect easy caramel every-time, simply add one or two drops of vinegar and just enough water to wet the sugar. The idea is to lower the PH. you can also use a small pinch of citric acid or cream of tartar if you have.

MILK

The main source of creaminess is milk here. I would suggest you milk that is full fat or has some percentage of fat. You can however use milk that is toned/ skinny here but i think this recipe would really benefit from the richness of the milk. If you are trying to veganize this recipe, simply swap cow milk with either soy or coconut.

 EQUIPMENTS USED FOR MAKING SMALL SERVE CARAMEL PUDDING

 

This recipe comes together quickly and hardly needs any equipment.

I have made my caramel and the custard batter in a saucepan.

To set the small serve caramel pudding, I have used glass ramekins .

Not a single day goes in my kitchen when I don’t use a Silicon Spatula, this is the one I recommend. Same goes for my set of Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons.

 

 RECIPE:

1. We will start with the caramel sauce. In a saucepan take the sugar and add little water just enough to wet the sugar.

2. Turn on the gas stove and over a medium low flame, stir until the sugar dissolves.

3. The sugar will gradually dissolve and the color will change to golden brown. Turn off the heat and immediately pour it into the pudding mold. (You may use any cake tin, any aluminum/stainless steel bowl, cups or ramekins to make this custard).

4. While the caramel sauce is still hot, gently tilt the mold to spread it all over the base.

5. Since the caramel sauce will be scalding hot, be careful while handling it, and keep it aside to cool down.

6. 

   Meanwhile, for the pudding, break open 3 eggs in a mixing bowl and slightly beat them.

7. Add the sugar, milk and the vanilla essence. Beat until well combined but not foamy.

8. If the caramel sauce has cooled down by now, pour the pudding mixture on the sauce and cover the mold (use aluminum foil if the mold doesn’t have a cover). Use a strainer to remove any semi solid particles from the pudding mixture.

9. If making a gas stove, take a deep bottomed vessel and place a trivet in the center. Pour water so that the trivet is submerged. Turn on the flame and let the water get heated. Place the pudding mold on the trivet and make sure the water level is at its 1/4th so as not to disturb the mold while the water boils. Cover and cook it over a low flame for 30-40 minutes.

10. If making in an oven, prepare a hot water bath, by placing the molds on a square/rectangle baking tray. Pour boiling water on the tray and bake it in an oven for 30-40 minutes at 180°C.

11. Take out the mold and let it cool down.

12. To unmold, run a knife around the rim and invert onto a serving plate.

13. Serve it warm or keep in  the refrigerator and serve chilled.

14. 
    

15. Personal Notes

When making caramel, When making caramel, you want to use a pot that heats evenly. Otherwise, some part will be burnt while the other parts have not melted yet. You might think that stirring helps, but it’s actually quite dangerous. First, the mixture can get really hot and you absolutely do not want to get splashed. Even if you are careful, if the mixture splashed and stick on the side of the pan it will get burnt too. For easier control, use low heat throughout the entire process.

The reason we pour the milk mixture slowly is because we do not want to cook the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked, the protein changed its form and can’t coagulate the pudding anymore. An alternative is to wait until the milk mixture is cooled before adding into the eggs. What’s the purpose of heating it, just to let it cool, then? The reason is to evaporate air bubbles that are trapped inside the mixture. If we do not remove the bubbles, tiny little holes will form around the pudding and affects its aesthetic.

I made 4 puddings and couldn’t finish it on the day itself so I kept until the next day. The caramel becomes more watery, and the pudding can’t hold its shape as good compared to the one before. So, my recommendation is to finish them as soon as possible.

Final Result

I’m not sure how Mocha found out we made pudding but Mocha really enjoys it. Mocha suggestssuggests adding Mocha powder but I doubt that’ll be good. On my second try I would probably do milk tea pudding though.