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1
Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F.
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2
For the caramel: Pour the sugar into a medium-size, heavy-bottomed frying pan and place over medium-high heat.
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3
Make a dry caramel by letting the sugar cook until evenly dark golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Remember, the caramel will continue to cook in the oven, when baking the custard, so do not make it too dark or it will taste bitter.
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Occasionally stir the sugar with a wooden spoon to remove any lumps.
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6
When the caramel has reached the proper color, add water (it may splatter) to keep it from becoming too hard.
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Mix in the water and remove the caramel from the heat.
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8
Carefully pour the hot caramel into the bottom of a 2-quart mold.
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9
It may be necessary to tilt the mold from side to side so that the caramel completely covers the bottom.
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10
For the custard: Pour the milk and 1/2 cup of the sugar into a non-reactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan.
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11
While the milk is heating over medium-high heat, use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
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12
Separate the seeds from the outside skin by scraping the bean with the knife.
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Place the skin and seeds in the heating milk.
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Scald the milk mixture by heating it until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.
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15
Remove from heat.
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16
Place the remaining sugar, the whole eggs, and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated.
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17
When you add sugar to eggs (especially to egg yolks), it is important to create an emulsion quickly or else a chemical reaction that produces heat will occur.
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If you do not whisk immediately, this heat will cook the egg yolks and cause lumps in the custard.
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Continue to whisk while slowly pouring the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisking until the mixture is smooth and homogenous in color.
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Try not to create air bubbles on the surface of the custard when you whisk, as these can form a crust on the baked custard.
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Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pieces and any overcooked eggs.
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22
Sprinkle the cranberries into the bottom of the mold.
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Then, pour the milk mixture into the mold and place in a roasting pan in the oven.
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Traditionally, custard is baked in a hot water bath to insulate it from the direct heat of the oven and to keep the eggs from cooking too fast, which would cause them to separate.
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Use hot water from the tap and pour enough water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the mold.
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When baked correctly, the custard should tremble slightly when gently shaken.
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27
In a conventional oven, this should take about 1 hour.
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28
If you detect any liquid under the skin, the custard is underbaked.
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Put it back in the oven and shake it every 5 minutes until it is ready.
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30
If the custard begins to bubble during baking, reduce the oven temperature 25 degrees F (14 degrees C).
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31
Remove the mold from the oven and the water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
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Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving; it will finish setting in the refrigerator.
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33
Let the water bath cool before removing it from the oven.
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To unmold the creme caramel: Carefully run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the custard.
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35
Invert a flat plate over the creme caramel.
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Place 1 hand on either side, grasping both plate and mold, and flip them both so that the mold is on top.
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Gently lift off the mold.
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You may need to tap the bottom of the mold to release the custard.
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39
Sometimes I like to serve this dessert with whipped cream.
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40
Creme caramel will keep in the refrigerator, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for a couple of days.
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41
Jacques' tip: This recipe gives a soft and delicate creme caramel but it can be difficult to bake.
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42
If you use 5 large egg yolks and 8 large whole eggs, you will have something less delicate but easier to bake because the egg whites are what hold everything together.
