Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel Base
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 45 ml water
Infused Custard
- 500 ml whole milk
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 2 g culinary dried lavender
- orange zest, freshly grated
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 336 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 47 g
- Sodium
- 145 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 189 mg
- Potassium
- 181 mg
- Calcium
- 132 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 13 mg
- Phosphorus
- 155 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 184 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 26 mcg
- Water
- 115 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F. Line the bottom of a deep roasting pan with a folded kitchen towel and arrange 6 ramekins on top. The towel prevents the ramekins from sliding and insulates the bottoms from direct heat.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, dried lavender, and orange zest. Place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges, reaching about 82°C/180°F. Do not let it boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover with a lid, and let the mixture steep for exactly 20 minutes to extract the essential oils from the lavender and orange zest without pulling out bitter tannins.
While the milk steeps, prepare the caramel. In a clean saucepan, mix 150g granulated sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber color, gently swirling the pan if spots darken unevenly.
Working quickly before the caramel hardens, pour a thin layer into the bottom of each ramekin, tilting them to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside to harden.
Pour the steeped milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring jug or bowl, pressing gently on the lavender and zest to extract all liquid. Discard the solids.
In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, remaining 100g sugar, and salt just until combined. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly to temper the eggs without cooking them.
Divide the liquid custard evenly among the caramel-lined ramekins. Skim off any foam resting on the surface to ensure a smooth baked texture.
Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. Carefully pour boiling water from a kettle into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the caramel to liquefy and the custard to set fully.
To serve, run a thin, sharp knife around the edge of each ramekin to break the suction. Place an inverted dessert plate over the ramekin, hold firmly together, and flip. Gently lift the ramekin away, letting the liquid caramel pool around the custard.
Chef's Notes
- Skimming the foam off the top of the raw custard before baking is crucial. Left on top, it will bake into a spongy, unsightly layer on the bottom of your unmolded flan.
- When making caramel, rely on your senses. It should smell toasted and look like an old copper penny. Pull it off the heat just before you think it is done, as the residual heat in the pan will continue to darken it.
- Lavender is highly potent and borders on medicinal if over-infused. Adhere strictly to the 20-minute steeping time, and always measure by weight, as volume can vary drastically depending on the dried blossom size.
- The towel in the water bath (bain-marie) is a classic French technique that prevents the ceramic ramekins from directly touching the hot metal pan, ensuring gentle, even heat distribution.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered in their original ramekins to protect the caramel layer from absorbing fridge odors.
Troubleshooting
Custard has a grainy texture or is filled with tiny bubbles
Cause: The water bath reached a boiling point or the oven temperature was too high, causing the egg proteins to curdle and overcook.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the water in the roasting pan never boils. Use an oven thermometer to verify the temperature is holding steady at 150C/300F.
Caramel is stuck to the bottom of the ramekin after turning out
Cause: The custard did not chill long enough for the moisture to dissolve the hard sugar disc, or the caramel was cooked too dark and hard.
Fix: Warm the bottom of the inverted ramekin briefly with a kitchen torch or a hot towel to coax out remaining caramel, though some sticking is normal.
Prevention: Allow a full 8 hours or overnight chill in the refrigerator. Next time, do not cook the sugar past a medium-deep amber.
Caramel crystallized while cooking in the pan
Cause: Agitation from stirring or sugar crystals on the side of the pot seeded the syrup.
Fix: Add a tablespoon of water and gently reheat to dissolve the crystals, then resume boiling.
Prevention: Do not stir the sugar and water once it begins to boil. Wash down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush if crystals form.
Cultural Context
Creme Caramel, also known as flan in Spanish-speaking regions, is a staple of French bistros and grandmotherly kitchens alike. Historically, it originated from the broader European tradition of custard-making that dates back to Ancient Rome. The addition of lavender and orange pays homage to the Provence region of Southern France, where citrus and floral botanicals freely intermingle in both sweet and savory applications.
