h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK - so I didn't complete the course of 30 journals in November. I wanted to get my laptop sorted at the weekend, on Sunday afternoon, but my daughter-in-law dropped in and we had such a long chat that there wasn't time to start on that. There was a concert that I wanted to go to, so when she left, we went out. As it turned out, I didn't like the concert and I left after the first 4 songs.



I'm quite pleased with myself. I made creme carameles in the microwave. One of my favourite puddings.

Easypeasy, but uses rather a lot of pots.

You need -

a measuring jug, a small mixing bowl
one small china teacup or heat- and microwave-proof mould per portion
Teaspoon, dessert spoon, whisk, blunt knife

Ingredients, milk, eggs, sugar, water. If desired: honey, spices.

1. Measure the capacity of one of the cups to about 3/4 full and multiply by the number of portions to be made. Alternatvely, fill all the cups to 3/4 full with water and tip all the water into the measuring jug and make a note of the resultant amount.

2. Boil a kettle filled only to the minimum mark with water. (You will only need a few teaspoons)

3. Put a teaspoon of sugar in each cup.

4. When the kettle has boiled, stir a teaspoon of boiling water into each cup until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Put the cups on a plate or glass tray and caramelise the sugar in the microwave. For two portions, that took me one and a half minutes on full power. After the first minute, keep checking, as with caramelising in a saucepan, until the correct shade of dark brown is reached. Take them out, leaving them on the plate, so that you don't have to touch the hot moulds or come into contact with the boiling sugar.

6. Measure out milk to the amount ascertained in point 1, less about 1/4.



E.g. if the cups were about 125 ml each, you will have filled them to about 80 ml, which makes 320 ml for 4 cups. So you will need three-quarters of 320 ml = 240 ml of milk. This sounds complicated, but it's dead simple really, and you need not be absolutely accurate.



7. Add sugar or honey to the milk (to taste) and heat it in the microwave to almost boiling. Approx 2-3 mins on full power.

8. While it's heating, break eggs into a bowl - one egg per two portions - and whisk vigorously.

9. Pour the hot milk onto the eggs, whisking all the time. Check the taste for sweetness, add spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), if liked.

10. Pour the milk/egg mixture on to the caramel in the cups in equal amounts.

11. Microwave at 300-400 Watts for about 3 mins until solid, but not making boiling movements in the cups (length of time varies according to number of portions being made).

12. Allow to cool a little, loosen the creme from the sides of the cups with a blunt knife and upturn them onto plates or shallow dishes. Leave the cups upturned over them until serving.

Sounds a bit of a faff, written down like that, but when I compare it to baking in the oven in a tray of water, or zapping in the pressure cooker like I used to, which involved complicated sealing of the cups and awkward manhandling of hot moulds, fishing them out of a hot pan, it seemed so simple. For none of the stages of the microwaving did I bother with a lid.

The final result looked and tasted just as good as any other I have had, bought or home made. There is also the added advantage that you can reduce the amount of sugar in the mixture if you don't want it too sweet, or you can use an interesting variety of honey to give it a touch of lavender, orange blossom or, as I did, rosemary.

Sorry you didn't enjoy the concert, but I'm glad to hear you had a good chat

I used to eat creme caramel, but I didn't really like it - I only ate it for the dark caramel part on the top, mixed with cream but I found the creamy part to be the wrong texture for my taste, so I don't have much of an urge to eat it these days...

Its too early in teh day for me... yet, to take in teh whole recipie! I got confused I think I'd have to sit down first, with a calculator to work out the measurements You might be able to make this recipie into a guide entry?! It does though, sound easier enough that it might be the kind of thing I might even try one time especially as, I guess, I could just like make a couple portions rather than having to make dozens (can they keep after being made?)

This sounds really excellent TC - and a very much less bothersome recipe than I'd read before. I agree with 2legs, it would be a great Guide Entry.

I If I have a go at making it, I'll probably weigh the ingredients (Grams basically the same as ML for liquid ingredients anyhow), as I'll probably find that easier (I.E., 3/4 fill the cup, weigh it, in G, to figure out the sizing etc)...

This is the first of next year's resolutions. Must have a go at this.

40 or so years ago in Ethiopia it was the only available dessert outside the capital. I suspect it was made from packet mixes (Green's?)Did you ever eat one of those? Long before microwaves anyway.

I am sure I've eaten Greens packet creme caramel. And I think they still sell it.
Next time I go to the local ( Lanzarote) supermarket, I'll look out for the packet variety they sell here now, that might even be Greens. There's a caramel to pour over it that comes in a small glass bottle.

I think I've practically only ever eaten bought ones from French supermarkets. They have a little tongue on the bottom of the container that you break off when you've turned it over. The pudding then slides down the side and sits on the plate and by the time you get to eat it, none of the caramel is left stuck to the bottom, which has now become the top.

OK I'll tidy it up and put it in peer review.

Yes, they're the ones we used to have, I think.

The caramel would drip down into the cream around the base and make swirly patterns so I would eat the creme part and then enjoy the sauce