Caramel Custard with Dulce de leche

I know that I am going overboard with all this Dulce de Leche....oh lord I just cant help the taste of this milk.  Its so contagious......if its possible, I think I will bathe, use it as a lotion or just mix and drink the whole milk. The smell and taste is simply out of this world.  I was so happy to come across this recipe and immediately I thought that this recipe should be done right away. Took it over to a friends place and got thumbs up for it. Glad they loved it ...

I like to make creme caramel in individual ramekins because it makes them very easy to serve (and easy to serve to yourself if you only want to eat one at a time!). I used 6 ounce ramekins for this recipe, but the recipe can be doubled if you want to make more servings or use larger ramekins. If you are going to use smaller 4 ounce ramekins, you will want to check the custards early to make sure that they don’t overbake in the oven.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 1/4 cups milk (pref. whole milk)

1/4 cup dulce de leche

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

large saucepan or kettle of hot water

Method

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring sugar to a boil and cook over medium heat until sugar turns a deep amber color, about 7-10 minutes. Divide into four 6-ounce ramekins, coating the bottom of each. Set ramekins aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, dulce de leche and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and just comes to a simmer.
• While the milk comes to a simmer, lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl. When the milk reaches a simmer, remove it from heat and temper the eggs by very slowly streaming the milk into the eggs while whisking constantly. Add the hot milk a few tablespoons at a time to ensure that you don’t curdle the mixture. Whisk in vanilla extract, then strain mixture into a large measuring cup or bowl with a pouring spout.
• Arrange ramekins in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Divide custard mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place baking dish in oven and pour hot water into it until the water reaches approximately halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake custards for 25-30 minutes, until just set. Remove from water bath and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.
• To serve, run a sharp knife around the sides of each ramekin and invert onto a serving plate or bowl.
• Serves 4.