If you thought you loved creme caramel as-is, you haven’t met this burnt honey version. Why should you be burning your honey? It adds a slight bitter edge which adds delicious contrast to the usually-sweet creme caramel. You’ll never make the classic version EVER again!
Creme caramel is one of my favourite classic desserts – there’s just nothing NOT to love about it. Well, except those sickly sweet versions. You’ve heard me harp on about taking your caramel far enough – to the point of it aaaallllmoooost burning? Well, now I’m here to tell you that you should be burning your honey, too. No, I haven’t lost my mind. Try it, it will change your life!
HOW TO MAKE BURNT HONEY
Place the honey in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 5–6 minutes or until very dark brown and starting to smoke, 160°C. Remove from heat and carefully add 1 tbsp water, swirling to combine. You can now set it aside and use it for whatever your heart desires!
WHAT TO DO WITH BURNT HONEY
What CAN’T you do with burnt honey, should be the question! The slight bitterness of burnt honey makes it perfect drizzled over ice cream. I’ve tried it in some of my favourite honey-laden recipes (Honey Cornflake Cookies, Honey Pie and Honey blondies) and it just makes everything it touches better. Trust me.
Burnt Honey Creme Caramel
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
180g burnt honey (recipe above)
5 large eggs
80g burnt honey (recipe above)
140g caster sugar
15ml vanilla extract
1 tsp fine salt
375ml full cream milk
375ml cream
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees for fan-forced) and make sure the oven rack is positioned on the lower third of the oven. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin or fluted tart tin. Find a deep roasting tray that your tin will fit into and place it in the oven. Pour the180g burnt honey into the base of the cake tin and set aside. Combine the eggs, burnt honey, sugar, vanilla extract and fine salt. Gently heat up the milk and cream in a small pot over medium heat until it just starts to boil. Immediately remove from the heat. While whisking, gradually pour the milk/cream mix into the egg mixture. Strain the mixture into a pouring jug and pour it into the prepared mould. Place the creme caramel in the roasting tray in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the tray to reach halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set with a slight wobble in the middle. It should look like jelly! Allow to cool before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. When you’re ready to serve, run a thin knife along the edges of the moulds and invert onto a plate. The caramels will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
DOWNLOAD OR PRINT THE RECIPE CARD HERE:
- 400g honey
- 5 large eggs
- 140g caster sugar
- 15ml vanilla extract
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 375ml full cream milk
- 375ml cream
- Place 400g honey in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 5–6 minutes or until very dark brown and starting to smoke, 160°C. Remove from heat and carefully add 2 tbsp water, swirling to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees for fan-forced) and make sure the oven rack is positioned on the lower third of the oven. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin or fluted tart tin. Find a deep roasting tray that your tin will fit into and place it in the oven. Pour 180g of the burnt honey into the base of the cake tin and set aside. Combine the eggs, 80g burnt honey, sugar, vanilla extract and fine salt. Gently heat up the milk and cream in a small pot over medium heat until it just starts to boil. Immediately remove from the heat. While whisking, gradually pour the milk/cream mix into the egg mixture. Strain the mixture into a pouring jug and pour it into the prepared mould. Place the creme caramel in the roasting tray in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the tray to reach halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set with a slight wobble in the middle. It should look like jelly! Allow to cool before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. When you’re ready to serve, run a thin knife along the edges of the moulds and invert onto a plate. The caramels will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.