Creme Caramel With Cinnamon and Brandy Sauce

Everything that you see in a blog has a story. Every picture has an anecdote attached to it and every recipe has an interesting side to it after going through transitions of trials and errors. The more errors I encounter, the more memorable it becomes...and special, because I got to know it more profoundly. Creme caramel had never been my ideal dessert because it is composed mainly of milk, eggs and sugar. One spoonful was enough for me to enjoy it. More than that, I wouldn't be able to take it. But lately, I noticed that I was starting to crave for it which was very strange because I didn't like its texture and the amount of milk in it makes me swoon. I don't like milk remember?

This creme caramel in the picture is a part of a third batch I did in a span of two days. I welcome errors. Yes, I admit I feel a tremendous amount of frustration but I always take it as a stepping stone to a very effective learning experience. After 30 eggs, here is a small creme caramel that a friend dubbed as one of the best-looking leche flans (as we also call it) she's ever seen! It tasted surprisingly good too with the hint of cinnamon and brandy.

Let me share with you the errors I encountered in the first two batches that I did so you can avoid them.  Batch One. I completely forgot about the use of condensed milk and I used 100% regular milk in the recipe. Result: The creme caramel came out spongy and watery. Totally awful texture. Batch Two. Since I didn't have condensed milk (it's not always available in all supermarkets here), I cooked 50% of the milk with sugar and let it simmer for a long time until it was almost thick (but not as thick as condensed milk). I used it as a replacement to the condensed milk. Result: Better texture than the first batch, not as spongy but still not the correct texture anyway. Acceptable if you're desperate. Batch Three. Finally, I found some condensed milk! 50% condensed milk and 50% regular milk. Result: Perfect texture! And the brandy sauce went perfectly great too!

I created this recipe for She Knows so you can click on this link to access it. If you want to see the list of recipes I made for them, click on this link too.

Thanks and have a great week!